Lula dismisses Caixa president and appoints Lira nominee

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) fired, in the early afternoon of this Wednesday (25), the president of Caixa Econômica Federal, Rita Serrano. The resignation was announced to the executive at a meeting at Palácio do Planalto.

Rita’s position was in the sights of the Centrão parties to expand the government base in the Chamber of Deputies. The presidency of the state bank will be assumed by economist Carlos Antônio Vieira Fernandes, nominated by Arthur Lira (PP-AL).

Fernandes is a career Caixa employee and should only be the first person linked to the PP to hold positions at the institution. There are also other boards that can enter into negotiations to expand the government base in the Chamber.

The executive’s resignation had been dragging on since July, when the PP began to pressure the government for the change. However, Lira denied any intention of nominating anyone to occupy positions at the Esplanada, and reinforced that the choice of ministers was the president’s prerogative.

Rita is the fourth appointed by Lula at the beginning of the government to fall to accommodate the Centrão. In addition to her, ministers Daniela Carneiro (Tourism) and Ana Moser (Sport) and minister Márcio França (Ports and Airports) also had to leave the Esplanada.

The positions were occupied by Celso Sabino (União-PA), André Fufuca (PP-MA) and Silvio Costa Filho (Republicanos-PE), respectively. Centrão also asks, among other positions in the first levels of government, for the presidency of the National Health Foundation (Funasa), which has a tender subject to audit at the Federal Audit Court (TCU).

New ministries to accommodate the base

While Daniela Carneiro and Ana Moser left Esplanada, Márcio França was appointed to the Ministry of Micro and Small Business, created soon after to accommodate him in the PSB quota — vice-president Geraldo Alckmin is also from the party.

There is also the possibility of Lula creating another department, that of Public Security, as he said in the weekly live “Conversa com o Presidente” this Tuesday (24). The topic is currently part of the Ministry of Justice, but having its own structure is a campaign promise from the president.

The bloc of parties that forms the Centrão even asked for the ministries of Health or Development and Social Assistance, but Lula assured that he would not make any changes. Minister Nísia Trindade was publicly defended by the president, while the second portfolio is considered strategic mainly for the PT, due to the management of the Bolsa Família program.

In addition to pressure from Centrão for more positions, Rita Serrano was also left on the ropes after Caixa authorized the holding of an exhibition with works that portray politicians in controversial situations, revealed earlier this week.

The state bank released R$250,000 for the “O Grito” exhibition, in which one of the works generated tension in the political environment. The painting portrayed Lira, senator Damares Alves (Republicanos-DF) and former minister Paulo Guedes in a trash can covered by the Brazilian flag. The exhibition was canceled after the revelation, in which Caixa states that it identified a “demonstration with a political bias”, which violates the company’s guidelines.

Lula highlights achievements of Rita Serrano

In an official note published shortly after his dismissal, Lula listed some of Rita Serrano’s achievements as president of Caixa. See below the full note released by the Secretariat of Social Communication (Secom), of the Presidency of the Republic, confirming the dismissal:

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met this Wednesday (24/10), with the president of Caixa Econômica Federal, Rita Serrano, and thanked her for her work and dedication in the role.

During his management, Serrano fulfilled an important mission of recovering the management and internal culture of Caixa Econômica Federal, with the valorization of the staff and resumption of the bank’s role in various social policies, at the same time increasing its efficiency and profitability, expanding financing for housing, infrastructure and agribusiness.

During Serrano’s administration, 74 consultation rooms were opened for mayors across the country, fulfilling a campaign commitment.

The federal government will appoint economist Carlos Antônio Vieira Fernandes as president of the bank, continuing the work of Caixa Econômica Federal in offering credit to our economy and implementing public policies in various social, cultural and sporting areas.