Analysis: Government sidesteps technicians and politicizes blackout – 08/15/2023 – Market

Although there is still no evidence that the blackout on Tuesday (15) was the responsibility of Eletrobras, the government and allies spent the day relating, directly or indirectly, the occurrence to the privatization of the largest energy company in the country.

The theme was in posts on social networks, for example, by first lady Rosângela da Silva, Janja, PT president Gleisi Hoffmann, and PT influencers. And it was reinforced by the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, in an interview with journalists to talk about the blackout.

“It is important that a strategic company like Eletrobras has a very great synergy with the public power. Because it is from the public power that society asks for answers”, said the minister. “That’s why I’m critical of a sector so strategic for Brazil to be completely privatized.”

Eletrobras, however, did not usually participate in the first interviews about blackouts, not even in previous PT administrations, when the company was still controlled by the Brazilian State.

This mission was given to technicians responsible for the operation, regulation and planning of the sector, such as the ONS (National Electric System Operator), Aneel (National Electric Energy Agency) and EPE (Empresa de Pesquisa Energética).

This Tuesday, they were even next to Silveira during the interview, but only the minister spoke. He spoke for the ONS when he speculated about the causes of the occurrence, he spoke for Aneel when he promised punishments to those responsible for the cut in supply.

He anticipated the technical investigation not yet concluded by saying that at least two events caused the power outage and, without proof, suggested evidence of sabotage in the network, such as those verified at the beginning of the year, in protest against the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) in 2022.

“The fact that the event took place at that time of the morning, the way it happened, encourages us to be asking in detail that other ministries, more specialized in investigating possible practices that are not consistent with what is important for the sector, to participate with us in the investigation,” he said.

The first major crisis in the Brazilian electricity sector in Lula’s third term showed that the government preferred to politicize the blackout rather than let technicians work.

A government that, when in opposition, rightly criticized the politicization of the pandemic by its predecessor, who disregarded technical opinions and preferred political advice to define its strategies in facing the biggest health crisis in history.