During the past week, from 30 April to 6 May, the Federal Government faced some political defeats but also saw the core of its opposition facing police investigations. On Wednesday (03/05), the Chamber approved a bill that overturns changes in sanitation, which were proposed by the government earlier this year. In addition, the bill that fights Fake News (PL 2630), a project prepared by Lula’s allies, had its voting session postponed after pressure made by Big Tech companies, religious groups and politicians that support former President Bolsonaro.
Sanitation
Federal Deputies approved the draft legislative decree (PDL) that overturns changes made by the federal government in the Sanitation Framework that would have given the Basic Sanitation State Companies (Cesbs) better conditions against the private sector and discouraged the private groups to seek public projects.
Lack of Support in Congress
The vote comes amid the government’s difficulty in consolidating a base of support in the Chamber of Deputies. The result shows that many deputies are not satisfied with the government and media outlets claim that the defeat was a message for the federal government to accept their demands. The government’s defeat had the almost total support of MDB, União Brasil and PSD, parties that together received a total of nine ministries from Lula. Wednesday’s vote session also showed a majority of votes against the President by PP and Republicans, parties that are rehearsing a negotiation with the government, but are also dissatisfied.
According to political commentators, what defined the government’s defeat was the dissatisfaction of center and right-wing parties with the negotiation of positions and resources. For these political groups, the executive has been quite slow in the execution of promises made so far.
Another Defeat
On Tuesday (02/05), the postponement of the Fake News bill voting session due to the lack of necessary support was another defeat for the government. This bill that seeks to regulate social networks in Brazil led to a clash between some of the main political, legal, business and religious forces in Brazil. On one side, the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) government, Deputies Chamber President Arthur Lira (PP), and Federal Supreme Court (STF). On the opposite side, the political opposition – supporters of former President Bolsonaro –, most of the evangelical deputies and the big technology companies.
Agrishow
Another negative episode for the current government was the presence of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) at the Agrishow, in Ribeirão Preto, SP. Bolsonaro used an event promoted by São Paulo Government to speak to the public. This is the biggest event of this type in the country and the Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro was expected to take part in the opening ceremony. However, since Bolsonaro was invited, the minister decided not to go. Agribusiness is seen as a stronghold of Bolsonaro and Lula has been having trouble to obtain support from this sector.
Fraud in Vaccines Certificates
On Wednesday (03/05), Bolsonaro was summoned by the Federal Police to testify about alleged fraud in the Health Ministry of ‘s vaccination system, but he did not appear. He was the target of a search and seizure operation carried out at his residence in Brasília, under the investigation of the digital militias, which is being processed by the Federal Supreme Court (STF).
The measures are part of an investigation into an alleged criminal association formed to commit the crimes of inserting false vaccination data against Covid-19 into the Health Ministry systems. There is suspicion that the vaccination records of Bolsonaro, his aid Cel. Mauro Cid and the former president’s youngest daughter, Laura, were forged.
The Federal Police and Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the STF (Federal Supreme Court), claim that former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) knew about the Covid-19 vaccination card fraud scheme. Jair Bolsonaro (PL) said that he did not take the vaccine against Covid-19, and that he forged nothing.
Source: Folha de SP [1], [2], [3], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9].
