Government confirms MST in ‘Conselhão’ amid risk of CPI and friction with agro – 04/30/2023 – Politics

The government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) announced the inclusion of the MST in the Economic and Social Development Council, the so-called Conselhão.

The initiative comes after the reading of the request for the installation of a CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) to investigate the movement of landless workers, which the Planalto now seeks to obstruct. In addition, the government has also faced criticism from agribusiness for its proximity to the MST, amid recent land invasions.

The MST’s inclusion in the Council was announced on Saturday night (29) by Minister Alexandre Padilha (Institutional Relations), on his social networks. The person responsible for the government’s interlocution with the National Congress also criticized the installation of the CPI.

“The president @lulaoficial invited the @MST_Oficial to the Council and the invitation was accepted. The work in family farming will contribute to policies for the production of healthy food in our country”, wrote the minister.

“I take this opportunity to point out that there is no determined fact, as required by the Constitution, for the creation of a possible CPI on the MST”, he added.

Hours earlier, Padilha and fellow minister Paulo Teixeira (Agrarian Development and Family Agriculture) participated in an MST event in São Paulo. Teixeira took the opportunity to refute the speech of another minister, Carlos Fávaro (Agriculture), who had compared the land invasions promoted by the movement to the coup acts of January 8th.

“I don’t see any relationship between the MST occupations and January 8; January 8 was an attack on democracy, a destruction of public property, there is no correlation between the two,” he said.

On Wednesday night (26), the mayor, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), read the request for the creation of a CPI that seeks to investigate the actions of the MST.

The initiative takes place in the midst of the movement’s actions in recent weeks and the growing pressure from the ruralist caucus for the installation of the commission.

Reading the application means that the commission has been created, but its activities will not necessarily start. This will only happen when the party blocks indicate the members to compose the collegiate and, subsequently, the first session of the commission may take place.

The government acts so that party blocks do not nominate members to compose the collegiate, thus obstructing its performance.

One of those most likely to assume the rapporteurship of the MST’s CPI is former Minister of the Environment Ricardo Salles (PL-SP), while deputy Lieutenant Coronel Zucco (Republicanos-RS) will hold the presidency.

In addition to the CPI risk, the government has been having friction with the agribusiness sector because of the recent land invasions promoted by the MST. Lula and his allies avoid criticizing the movement and have been strengthening ties even more, inviting leaders to hold positions.

The most recent clash with agribusiness happened in recent days with the holding of Agrishow, in Ribeirão Preto, the main agricultural fair in Latin America.

Minister Carlos Fávaro felt uninvited to the opening of the event, because of the invitation to former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

The Lula government reacted and even threatened to cancel Banco do Brasil’s sponsorship of the event, which ended up not being confirmed by the state bank.

The organization of Agrishow announced this Saturday night (29) the cancellation of the traditional opening ceremony of the event, after the controversy.