Criminologia e corrupção no Piauí: análise das dinâmicas entre políticos e empresários e os danos ao erário

Abstract

This research addresses corporate criminology, focusing on the analysis of corruption dynamics between politicians and businesspeople in the state of Piauí, Brazil, and their impact on public finances. The general objective is to investigate the factors that drive such illicit practices, combining theoretical frameworks from critical criminology and white-collar crime theory with the specific political and economic context of Piauí. A qualitative methodology was employed, including bibliographic review and document analysis of emblematic corruption cases and official reports from oversight bodies. The findings reveal that political-corporate corruption in Piauí is sustained by patrimonialist structures, weak institutional oversight, and a culture of impunity maintained through strategic alliances between public officials and private actors. The study identifies systemic mechanisms such as fraudulent bidding processes, shell companies, fake invoices, and the co-optation of councilors and municipal employees. It concludes that corporate crime in Piauí is not incidental, but rather functional to local power networks operating outside the law, resulting in substantial public resource losses. Effective responses to corruption require strengthening control mechanisms and overcoming the penal selectivity and normalization of elite criminal behavior, as emphasized by contemporary corporate criminology.