Headquarters of the Government of Amazonas - — Photo: Bruno Zanardo/Secom
Amazonas' net consolidated debt reached R$7.53 billion in 2025, almost three times the value recorded in 2020, when it was R$2.82 billion. The growth in debt occurs amid the state government taking out loans to finance investments and raises questions about the application of resources and the state's ability to pay commitments without compromising public services.
Despite having decreased compared to 2024, the debt remains at a high level. The data is from the National Treasury.
The increase in debt occurs while part of the population faces difficulties in obtaining care in the public health network and access to housing.
This is the case of housewife Luzinete Jesus, who has been waiting for exams for a year and five months. In addition to her, her granddaughter is also awaiting treatment. The girl has vision problems and needs to have an ultrasound.
"One year and five months. There's mine, my granddaughter's, who has a problem with her eyes and is about to have an ultrasound. It's been a few months, almost a year, for her to do it", he reported.
Another reality is that of housewife Ivone Lira, who lives in a house on stilts and faces the consequences of the floods and drought in Manaus. She dreams of getting her own place.
"I live here in this situation, six months of drought, six months of floods. When it rains, my God, the house shakes, everything here shakes. As I have an autistic son, then he has seizures and he runs here and there, then the house shakes. We are afraid of what will happen to us. We give it to God", he said.
The stories show how decisions about the public budget can affect the lives of those who depend on the services offered by the state. In this context, debt growth raises a discussion about investment priorities and available resources for areas such as health, education, security and housing.
Housewife Ivone Lira says she feels abandoned by the State. — Photo: Rede Amazônica
Loans exceed R$17 billion in requests since 2023
Since 2023, the first year of former governor Wilson Lima's second term, the Amazonas Legislative Assembly (Aleam) has authorized 12 credit operations requested by the state government. Together, orders exceed R$17 billion.
All proposals passed through the Legislative Assembly. At the time, the House was presided over by then state deputy Roberto Cidade, current governor of Amazonas. He articulated and put to a vote the projects submitted by the government.
On some occasions, proposals were approved in less than a minute, without prolonged debates in plenary.
Despite the growth in debt, lawyer Gustavo Yanase Fujimoto states that Amazonas' debt level is still below the limit established by the Fiscal Responsibility Law.
"It seems to be something that is scary, but, analyzing the accounting aspect, the state of Amazonas has committed 26%. So, it is far below what the Fiscal Responsibility Law establishes", he explained.
Debt can compromise public service resources
Even within legal limits, the volume of loans raises concerns about the state's ability to pay installments and interest over the next few years.
According to Fujimoto, loans generally have long terms. If interest rates are not controlled, payments could take up an increasingly larger portion of the state budget.
"The concern that the next governments will have to have, not only the next one, but the others that come after, because they are normally long-term debts. If these interest rates are not well controlled, they will take up a large share of the budget and, consequently, they will reduce these resources for health, security, education and other functions that the state has to provide", he stated.
Therefore, in addition to monitoring debt growth, it is important to know whether loans are being transformed into improvements for the population and how the government intends to balance payments with the needs of public services.
For those who live in areas with precarious infrastructure, the expectation is that public resources will result in concrete improvements. Housewife Valdenora Barbosa da Silva says she feels forgotten by the public authorities and her main desire is to own a house.
"We are forgotten, we don't have help from anyone here. My dream is to have a house," he said.
What the authorities say
In a note, the Public Ministry of Accounts reported that Amazonas' public debt is still below the limit established by the Fiscal Responsibility Law. The body also stated that it monitors the evolution of the state's debt.
Rede Amazônica requested interviews with the Court of Auditors of the State of Amazonas (TCE-AM) and the State Government to clarify where the resources from loans contracted in the previous administration were applied, but did not receive a response until the last update of this article.
