Ala defends keeping Juscelino, but Gleisi wants removal – 03/03/2023 – Politics

Despite pressure from PT president Gleisi Hoffmann (PR), who defended the temporary removal of Minister Juscelino Filho (Communications), a wing of the government has preached that he cannot be fired in the short term.

A group of allies of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) has argued that dismissing Juscelino at this moment could be detrimental to building the base in the Chamber and even send a negative message with less than three months in office.

Lula himself, however, this week showed dissatisfaction with the position of the assistant and stated that, if he does not prove his innocence, he will not be kept in the government.

For some of Lula’s interlocutors, an eventual departure could generate noise in Congress with União Brasil, which, in addition to Juscelino, influenced the nomination of holders of two other ministries.

Minister Alexandre Padilha (Institutional Relations) showed this Friday (3) his disagreement with Gleisi.

“As President Lula said, all ministers, regardless of party, have the right to the presumption of innocence. What is expected of all of them is that they have space for their defense. And I’m sure they will, without prejudice. be removed because of unfair prejudgments, including fellow members of the PT”, said Padilha.

Earlier, in an interview with the Metrópoles portal, Gleisi said that Juscelino should be temporarily removed to explain himself about suspected irregularities.

“I think the minister should ask for a leave of absence to be able to explain, justify, if justifiable, what he did. This prevents embarrassment on both sides,” he said.

Juscelino received per diems from the federal government for days without a work schedule in São Paulo, São Luís and even abroad. So far, the total per diem received by the minister on two international trips —to Portugal and Spain— adds up to R$34,200.

According to a note released by the folder on Thursday, the holder of the folder decided to return the value of the daily trips from Maranhão and São Paulo.

On the trip to São Paulo, the minister had only two official agendas and took advantage of his stay in the capital of São Paulo to participate in an event related to Quarter Horses, as revealed by the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo. Juscelino Filho is a breeder of animals of the breed.

He went to São Paulo and returned to Brasília on FAB planes. This happened, according to the Ministry of Communications, because “the minister went to fulfill an official agenda, of public interest”.

In addition, also according to the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo, Juscelino Filho allocated budget funds to pave a road that crosses his farm, in Vitorino Freire (MA), before taking over the Ministry of Communications, when he was an active deputy.

In an interview with BandNews, on Thursday, Lula stated that he will have a conversation with Juscelino on Monday (6) and that he will leave the government if he fails to prove his innocence.

“I have already asked Minister Rui Costa [Casa Civil] summon him for Monday so we can have a conversation because he has the right to prove his innocence, but if he fails to prove his innocence, he cannot stay in government. I guarantee everyone the presumption of innocence,” declared Lula.

Government ministers recognize that there is embarrassment due to the fact that Juscelino received per diems without working, but defend that he can explain himself, under the argument that there may have been an unintentional error.

With regard to the direction of amendments for the construction of a road that passes near a Juscelino farm, holders of portfolios in the Esplanada assess that, if the misuse of public funds is configured, the minister’s situation becomes complicated.

They point out that it will be up to the President of the Republic to make a political assessment of the minister’s conduct when he was a deputy.

Other palace assistants and allies of the government in Congress also downplay the accusations, saying that the minister will be able to explain himself to the representative and even speak of “persecution” of the head of Tourism.

In the evaluation of Planalto members, Lula’s dissatisfaction with the Minister of Communications was clear in last Thursday’s interview, mainly due to the difference in the treatment given by the representative in comparison with the Minister of Tourism, Daniela Carneiro (União Brasil).

The representative avoided commenting on the accusations, did not defend Juscelino Filho and said that, if he fails to prove his innocence, he will be out of government.

When asked about Daniela Carneiro, he said he was “grateful” for the subordinate and downplayed her links with militiamen.

A Sheet showed that the minister maintained a political link with former PM Juracy Prudêncio, known as Jura, convicted of commanding a militia in Baixada Fluminense; and former councilor Marcio Pagniez, known as Marcinho Bombeiro, who was arrested on a similar charge.

“Daniela is different, Daniela you take a picture of someone on top of a truck with her on top of the platform. You can’t condemn a person because they are on top of the platform with someone undesirable,” said Lula.

For members of the government, even if Juscelino Filho manages to provide the necessary clarifications, there is another factor of instability for his permanence in office: the delivery of votes by União Brasil in congressional votes.

The evaluation of palace assistants is that the relationship with the party should continue and that the problems in the party are more internal, between the Chamber and the Senate, than with the government. But they admit that party alliances can be reassessed depending on the position of the base parties.

Today União Brasil has nominees in three ministries: Tourism, with Daniela Carneiro; Communications, with Juscelino Filho; and National Integration, with Waldez Goes.