Favela Conectada subcontractor linked to alleged PCC member in São Paulo Wi‑Fi contract

The Instituto Conhecer Brasil (ICB), an organization tied to entrepreneur Karina Ferreira da Gama, signed a R$12 million contract with Favela Conectada Serviço e Tecnologia Ltda. to install free Wi‑Fi points in São Paulo’s peripheral neighborhoods. Authorities say Favela Conectada’s sole partner, Alex Leandro Bispo dos Santos, is under investigation for alleged ties to the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and for a femicide case in São Paulo. The contract, part of the city’s Wi‑Fi Livre programme, has been scrutinised for irregularities, including an entry in the agreement that lists only the name “Alex” without full personal details. The investigation also noted that the subcontractor received R$12 million out of a larger R$108 million allocation intended for 5 000 Wi‑Fi points, yet the service operated for only a few months.

Karina Ferreira da Gama also controls Go Up Entertainment, the producer of the film “Dark Horse,” which portrays former president Jair Bolsonaro. The link between the subcontractor and the film’s producer has raised concerns about possible diversion of public funds to support the movie. São Paulo’s municipal government emphasised that it contracts directly with ICB, not with Favela Conectada, and that no confirmed irregularities have been found so far.