Brazilian lawmaker Lindbergh Farias allocates R$1.7 million to MST cooperatives in Paraná

Federal deputy Lindbergh Farias (PT‑RJ) directed R$1.7 million in parliamentary amendments to three cooperatives linked to the Landless Workers' Movement (MST) in the state of Paraná. The funds were executed in 2025 through the Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos (PAA) and were 2.5 times larger than the amount he allocated to his own state of Rio de Janeiro. The beneficiaries were the Cooperativa de Comercialização Camponesa Vale do Ivaí (Cocavi) in Jardim Alegre, the Cooperativa de Produção, Industrialização e Comercialização Agrícola Ribeirão Vermelho (Coprari) in Centenário do Sul, and the Cooperativa Agroindustrial de Produção e Comercialização Conquista (Copacon) in Londrina.

The cooperatives are part of the electoral base of Gleisi Hoffmann, former minister and Farias' partner, who visited the Jardim Alegre settlement earlier in the year. Hoffmann posted on Instagram about the community's work. Farias denied influencing the destination of the resources, stating that his role was only to propose amendments to the PAA, with the National Supply Company (Conab) deciding final allocation. The episode follows a 2024 ruling by Minister Flávio Dino that barred lawmakers from allocating amendments to states other than those they represent, citing risks of political favoritism.