Amazonas senators dispute funding for Manaus Free Trade Zone

Senator Plínio Valério, nearing the end of his term, allocated no parliamentary amendments specifically for the Manaus Free Trade Zone. Instead, he transferred R$ 2,215,158.01 to 19 municipalities outside Amazonas, concentrating resources in the South and Southeast, with notable amounts to Cajamar (SP), Rio de Janeiro and Palhoça (SC). Generic funds were sent to Manaus but without earmarked projects for the industrial hub.

Senator Eduardo Braga was honored by the Amazonas Commercial Association and outlined a series of proposals to strengthen the state’s economy. He called for the completion of BR‑319, the construction of a transmission line along the highway, a new modern port in Manaus, the creation of a regional airline, and the establishment of new industrial zones to attract investments such as data centers. Braga also highlighted the commercial potential of interior products like organic sugar, açaí, coffee, cocoa and corn.