Brazil: Threats and Altercation Inside Rousseff Administration’s Coalition

Michel Temer The vice president of Brazil, Michel Temer, admitted publicly “differences” inside the administration of President Dilma Rousseff following a serious, ‘loud voice’ exchange he had with cabinet chief and political coordinator Antonio Palocci who is under investigation for overnight enrichment. 

“The situation now is most calm,” said Temer, who was acting president while Dilma Rousseff left early Monday for a one day official visit to neighboring Uruguay.

Temer belongs to PMDB, the party with most votes and a crucial ally of the ruling Workers Party in congress since they hold key posts and have sufficient votes to ensure a comfortable working majority plus dominating the Senate.

The situation apparently was triggered because of the lack of dialogue with President Dilma Rousseff, and most recently the investigation into the assets of Palocci and his life style including a flat in São Paulo which he rents for US$ 9.000 per month.

The leading newspaper Folha de S. Paulo revealed that Palocci’s assets multiplied by 20 in four years and that his consulting company in 2010 did business for the equivalent of US$ 12.5 million.

Temer in an interview with Folha said he received a phone call from Palocci who in a “veiled threat” said that if the PMDB did not support the Forest Code currently under discussion in the Lower House, (which they did not), President Rousseff would begin firing PMDB ministers from the cabinet.

“The discussion was tense, I admit I raised my voice, but there was no offensive language,” said Temer who following the skirmish with Palocci received a phone call from president Rousseff requesting to put an end to the whole incident.

Temer added that apparently Rousseff was cautioned by former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva “to try and mend relations with the PMDB and recover the political initiative.”

He added that with President Rousseff he agreed to hold three meetings this week: a “smiling picture” early morning Monday at the Air Force base before the president left for Uruguay; a private meeting on Tuesday and lunch on Thursday with all the PMDB Senators included those considered “rebels.”

The clash with the government was evident last week when the Lower House with the support from the PMDB voted for an amendment in the Forest Code, which limits the Federal government monopoly to determine and regulate those areas considered of “permanent preservation.”

The spat escalated when President Rousseff feeling she had been cheated given the pre-accord to vote the code as it was sent by the Executive, let it be known she would veto those articles she considers erred if the situation was not reversed in the Senate.

During the Lower House discussion which also included an amnesty for those accused of illegal timbering further irritated the Executive. The leader of the Workers party, speaking in the name of president Rousseff said that she considered the amendments introduced “shameful for Brazil.”

Mercopress

Tags:

You May Also Like

Brazilian educator Paulo Freire

Brazil’s Educator Paulo Freire Gets US Award 8 Years After His Death

The Center for Education Outreach & Innovation (CEO&I) of Teachers College at Columbia University ...

Lula Blames Red Tape for Delays on Brazil’s 2014 World Cup Preparations

Brazil has just announced investments equivalent to US$ 3.2 billion to upgrade airports in ...

Brazilian soccer fan in Germany

Brazil Can Win World Cups But It’s Far From Winning Nobel Prizes

Out of every ten of the world’s best soccer players, at least five are ...

Expert Pans New Brazil’s Forest Bill As Harmful to the Amazon

The bill before the National Congress for the regulation of public forest management (PL ...

President Dilma Can Get a Place in History by Having Rich and Poor Kids in the Best Schools

In her first post-election speech, President-elect Dilma Rousseff made a commitment to eradicating misery. ...

Brazil’s Lula Proposes 17% Raise in Minimum Wage

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva decided to raise the monthly minimum wage ...

Brazil and G4 Try New Push for UN Security Council Expansion

Brazil, Germany, Japan and India have submitted a resolution to the U.N. General Assembly ...

In Bankruptcy, Japan Airlines Cancels Flights to Brazil

Weighed down with debts of over US$ 25 billion, Asia’s biggest carrier Japan Airlines ...

Brazilian Development Minister Miguel Jorge

Minister Announces in Morocco Brazil Will Soon Get Investment Grade

Ministers of Arab and South American countries approved this Wednesday, May 23, in Rabat, ...

Half Million Americans Abroad to Secure the Empire

Bush declared in his acceptance speech at the Republican convention that he is fighting ...