Nunes Terminates Contract with Sustenidos after Employee Criticizes Charlie Kirk

According to Mayor Ricardo Nunes (MDB), the termination of the contract mainly occurred after an employee’s post on social media. This employee criticized the conservative American activist Charlie Kirk, who was murdered earlier this month. ‘There were already a series of issues with the Court of Auditors, but the post by an employee encouraging violence was the last straw,’ he said. ‘We requested the organization to fire the person, but they did not. Therefore, they condoned this behavior. And anyone who condones violence is not fit to provide services to the City Hall.’ The main reasons cited by the Mayor are: Recurrent notifications from the Court of Auditors on contract irregularities since 2023; A request from 28 city councilors to terminate the agreement; Sustenidos’ refusal to dismiss an employee who posted on social media considered an incitement to violence, following the murder of Charles Kirk in the United States in early September. After the death of Charlie Kirk on September 10, the employee Pedro Guida posted a message on social media stating ‘one should not mourn for a Trump supporter.’ He then compared the American activist to Nazis. Sustenidos had been resisting firing the employee. Therefore, according to Nunes, the city hall decided to cancel the contract. The organization had not responded to the incident at the time of the latest update. The city hall is trying to locate Pedro Guida. TCM’s Determination The Court had already ruled in a 2023 court decision that a new bidding process should be launched, but the measure had been postponed by the City Hall. The office prepared by the City Council reflects the legislative body’s interest in resolving issues pointed out by the TCM – a contract considered legally flawed from the outset and poorly executed. On Friday (19), the City Hall received a letter from the Court of Auditors demanding explanations within 48 hours about the opening of a new public call to define the next manager. The mayor also stated that an emergency contract will be necessary to ensure the continuity of the complex’s activities until the bidding process is completed. ‘We will bring in a serious entity that respects life and people. The City Hall does not under any circumstances tolerate a contracted social organization encouraging violence,’ Nunes emphasized. In a joint statement, the Municipal Secretary of Culture and Creative Economy and the Theatro Municipal Foundation confirmed that they are conducting the termination in accordance with the legislation and that a new public call will be opened to select the next managing entity. During the transition period, a Desmobiliation Plan will be developed to ensure the continuity of artistic activities. History of Irregularities The contract signed in 2021 between the Theatro Municipal Foundation and Sustenidos has faced challenges since the bidding process. TCM pointed out flaws in the evaluation of proposals, such as irregular scoring given to the winning entity, lack of proof of minimum experience of members, and issues with budget feasibility. In 2021, the initial contract value was R$ 565.3 million for five years. Since then, internal reports from the Theatro Municipal Foundation have indicated non-compliance with agreed goals, reinforcing concerns about the management. Daily Summary From Monday to Saturday, the news you can’t miss delivered directly to your email.