Josué Gomes da Silva was elected president of Fiesp in 2021.| Photo: Geraldo Magela/Agência Senado

The employees of the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp) received this Friday (20) a letter that appoints Elias Miguel Haddad as interim president of the entity in place of Josué Gomes. The message was forwarded by email and signed by the second director-secretary, Ronaldo Koloszuk Rodrigues, reported the newspaper O Globo. Haddad is the oldest member of the list elected in 2021, which is why he would be chosen according to the Fiesp statute.

This is yet another episode of the imbroglio involving the entity’s command. On Monday (16), Gomes was removed from the presidency during an assembly organized by a wing dissatisfied with his management. The result was not recognized by Gomes. A day later, Fiesp released a note stating that Josué Gomes “is the president of the entity and is fully exercising his functions”.

Gomes was in Brasília – as president of Fiesp – this Friday to participate in the meeting between president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and the commanders of the Armed Forces. In addition to being appointed as interim president, Elias Miguel Haddad canceled a meeting called by Gomes for next Monday (23) via email. The meeting was scheduled precisely to discuss Fiesp’s governance.

According to the statement, the supposed change of presidents took place “following the decision of the Extraordinary General Assembly, convened by means of a regular notice at the request of the absolute majority of the Council of Representatives, which, after hearing the defense arguments and rejecting them, decided to dismiss Josué Gomes from office”. Jurist Miguel Reale Júnior, who is part of Gomes’ defense, said that the case should be judicialized.