Gleisi comes out in defense of the MST in the Conselhão and criticizes agro – 05/01/2023 – Politics

The national president of the PT and federal deputy Gleisi Hoffmann came out in defense of the MST (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Terra) this Monday (1st) and stated that part of the Brazilian agribusiness favors the sector with “arrogance and radicalism”.

She referred to criticisms of the MST being part of the government council and the recent impasse between the Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro, and the organization of the agricultural fair Agrishow, in Ribeirão Preto (SP).

“What is this about questioning the participation of the MST in the Council? It is the largest organized social movement in Brazil and who knows in the world. It represents a good part of family and peasant agriculture! It puts food on the people’s plate. Part of the Brazilian agribusiness is showing arrogance and radicalism, making the sector partisan. This is bad for Brazil and for the sector itself”, he said in his Twitter profile.

On Saturday (29), Minister Alexandre Padilha (Institutional Relations) made official the inclusion of the Economic and Social Development Council movement. The announcement came after the reading of the request for the creation of a CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) to investigate the MST, which the Planalto seeks to obstruct.

The opposition has linked the federal government to recent land invasions by the MST, which took place during the so-called Red April. Last month, the movement held several protests and invaded an area that belongs to Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation), as well as Incra headquarters.

The actions provoked reactions not only from agribusiness, but also from the Lula government itself, and accelerated the creation of the commission.

Another episode shook the government’s relationship with part of agribusiness. Last week, the president of Agrishow, Francisco Matturro, suggested that Cárlos Fávaro not attend the opening day of the event, which would be attended by former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

Displeased, the government threatened to cancel Banco do Brasil’s sponsorship of the fair. The organization backtracked and canceled the opening ceremony. Even so, Bolsonaro went to Ribeirão Preto accompanying the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans). The fair is one of the most traditional in the sector in Latin America and brings together an important part of Bolsonaro’s electorate.

Bolsonaro said that agribusiness “needs politicians who don’t get in the way” and skewered President Lula.

“You should know that there are 400 requests for the demarcation of indigenous lands and at least 3,500 from quilombolas. And that guy said he would do his best to meet the wishes of the communities. If 10% are met, where will our agro go? I ask God for that not to happen,” he said.

It was Bolsonaro’s first public event in Brazil after the three-month period he spent in the United States, where he lived after losing the 2022 election.