Campos Neto attends barbecue promoted by Lula

After spending the entire year being harassed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), the president of the Central Bank (BC), Roberto Campos Neto, attended the Christmas celebration promoted by the government this Thursday (21), at Granja do Crooked, in Brasília.

Lula and Campos began to get closer after the BC’s interest rate reductions starting in August. They first got together in September.

According to newspaper reports, Campos Neto was “very comfortable” and circulated with ease in different conversation circles during the three hours he remained at the party.

At dinner, the BC president shared the table with Chancellor Mauro Vieira, former Chancellor Celso Amorim, current head of the Presidency’s special advisory, the president of Petrobras, Jean Paul Prates, and Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira.

According to a report from one of the ministers, the central banker said that the macroeconomic scenario is favorable to Brazil and predicted an improvement in economic indicators next year. The Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, was at another table. He was accompanied by his wife, Ana Estela Haddad, who is Secretary of Digital Health at the Ministry of Health.

Lula greets military ministers and takes photos with Centrão

President Lula and the first lady, Janja da Silva, were the first to arrive at the party, at 7:30 pm, and stayed until 11 pm. They spent the night going around the tables and talking circles. Lula made a point of greeting the commanders of the Army, Navy and Air Force, who were accompanied by their wives.

Ministers from Centrão parties endeavored to pose for individual photos with the presidential couple. Among them, Celso Sabino (União Brasil), from Tourism; Jader Filho (MDB), from Cidades; André Fufuca (PP), from Sport; and Silvio Costa Filho (Republicans), from Ports and Airports.

Presidents of public and state banks, such as Itaipu Binacional, were present. The only absences were the ministers from the Civil House, Rui Costa, who was in Bahia attending the birth of his fifth child, and from Social Security, Carlos Lupi, who traveled to Saudi Arabia to watch the Club World Cup final between his team, the Fluminense, and Manchester City, this Friday (22).

The food at the party was barbecue. According to presidential assistants, the person who provided the meat was the Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro. A female forró pé-de-serra trio livened up the night.