Former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), pre-candidate for the presidency, criticized President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) today in an interview with Rádio Jornal, from Pernambuco, and said that “the only thing he [Bolsonaro] talk is to sell.” The PT’s statement attacks statements by the current head of the federal executive, who, since the beginning of his term, has defended an extensive agenda of privatization of state-owned companies, following the will of Minister Paulo Guedes (Economy).
“The only thing he talks about is selling. Selling Petrobras, Eletrobras, the gas pipeline, Banco do Brasil, BNDES,” said Lula.
The intention to privatize or extinguish a series of state-owned companies began to be discussed by Bolsonaro when he was still a candidate for president. At the time, during a live in October 2018, he informed the intention to privatize at least 50 state-owned companies. The promise was that this would be done in his first year in office.
More recently, Bolsonaro has mentioned the privatization of Petrobras. Paulo Guedes, however, has already said that this possibility “is not on the table”. In May 2020, Bolsonaro also commented on the possibility of selling Banco do Brasil, but said that “this is only discussed, it is only talked about in 23”. The president seeks to be reappointed to the Planalto Palace.
By raising the tone of criticism even more today, the PT presidential candidate said that, if he wins the elections, he will give more credit to small and medium-sized Brazilian companies.
“We are going to encourage entrepreneurship in this country. Anyone who wants to do something on their own will be able to go to a public bank to get money to start their business. This country cannot continue to be a capitalist without capital, without credit”, said the PT candidate. .
