Belém Avenue Collapse Linked to Deputy Investigated for Fraud

The section of Avenida Liberdade in Belém, Brazil, that recently collapsed was built by a consortium that includes JAC Engenharia, a company co-owned by the wife of federal deputy Antônio Doido (MDB-PA). Both the deputy and his wife are currently subjects of a Federal Police investigation into alleged corruption and money laundering.

Investigators suspect the couple used their companies to divert public funds, allegedly through fraudulent state government bidding processes. These illicit funds were reportedly used to finance election campaigns. The contract for the Avenida Liberdade project was signed in June 2024, with the aim of completing it for the COP 30 climate conference held in Belém in 2025. However, the construction was only finished in April of this year, incurring a cost of R$ 410 million to taxpayers. The avenue's construction had previously drawn criticism from environmentalists concerned about socio-environmental damage and reports from riverside communities about the destruction of their livelihoods.

In December of the previous year, the deputy and his wife were targeted in a Federal Police operation, during which two cell phones were reportedly thrown from the parliamentarian's apartment window. The government of Pará stated that the consortium responsible for the avenue's construction comprises five construction companies from various states. "During monitoring and preventive inspections on Avenida Liberdade, the need for corrections in a stretch of approximately 150 meters was identified," said the Secretariat of Infrastructure and Logistics (Seinfra).

The secretariat further assured that the costs for these necessary interventions will be borne by the companies involved, without any additional burden on the state. Attempts to reach Deputy Antônio Doido for comment were unsuccessful.