Lula government: Congress withdraws power from Marina Silva – 05/24/2023 – Politics

The mixed commission formed by deputies and senators that analyzes the MP (provisional measure) for the reorganization of the Esplanada dos Ministérios approved in session this Wednesday (24) changes in the Lula government (PT) that strengthen the centrão and remove power from Minister Marina Silva (Network).

The text, authored by MDB leader in the Chamber, Isnaldo Bulhões Jr. (AL), dehydrated the government’s environmental policy — competences of bodies that are currently with the Environment and Indigenous Peoples will be transferred to other portfolios. The text was approved by 15 votes to 3.

The new report also re-established the original text of the MP, as sent by Lula, returning the responsibility for coordinating federal intelligence activities to the structure of the GSI (Institutional Security Office) — paving the way for the return of Abin (Brazilian Intelligence Agency) to the military body.

In his first report, Isnaldo had transferred this competence to the structure of the Civil House, following a decree sent by the Lula government in February.

According to members of the Executive heard by the Sheetthis change in the text of the MP reinforces that the agency should return to the GSI.

The MP will now be voted on in the plenary sessions of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate. There is pressure to speed up the appreciation of the matter, since it will expire on the 1st.

Members of the Executive acted together with the leadership of the Chamber to try to take the MP to the plenary of the House this Wednesday.

According to the leader of the government in Congress, Senator Randolfe Rodrigues, the Executive tried throughout the morning to reach an agreement with the rapporteur to try to revert points related to the environmental agenda — without success.

“We, the government, have not been able to move forward although we have advocated, but none of the aspects of the environmental issue have managed to make progress,” he said.

There was even a meeting on Tuesday night (23) in which some demands were presented, such as one that would change the wording of the section that removes the demarcation of land from the ministry of Sônia Guajajara and puts it in court, but even that was not accepted.

According to members of the government, the report presented by Bulhões went beyond what had been previously agreed with the government, especially on the issue of demarcations and also on the National Water Agency (ANA), which will leave the Environment for Regional Development —a folder headed by by Waldez Góes (PDT), nominated by União Brasil parliamentarians for the post.

Also approved was the transfer of the CAR (Rural Environmental Registry), an instrument to control private lands and conflicts in preservation areas, from the ministry headed by Marina to the one for Management and Innovation in Public Services.

The body is considered important for managing the inspection of environmental crimes in rural properties, such as land grabbing and deforestation.

The approved report consolidates a maneuver by the ruralist group, which, as anticipated by the Sheetacted to empty Marina Silva’s ministry.

Parliamentarians linked to the ruralist caucus presented amendments that, in practice, resumed the ministerial organization chart of the administration of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) – including the extinction of the ministry of Indigenous Peoples.

The intention of the ruralists was that the environmental policy was emptied. Despite the fact that the indigenous portfolio has not been extinguished, it has lost one of its main attributions, that of approving or not approving land demarcation studies.

As for the CAR, although it did not go to Agriculture, as it did in the Bolsonaro government —it went to Management—, it left the hands of Marina Silva, who in recent days has given several statements defending that the instrument should remain under her tutelage.

Still, the Ministry of Cities, commanded by Jader Filho (MDB-PA), will be responsible for information systems that, by Lula’s MP, were in Marina’s purview.

They are: Sinisa (National Information System on Basic Sanitation), Sinir (National Information System on Solid Waste Management) and Singreh (National Water Resources Management System).

Such as Sheet As shown, Planalto acted to try to avoid defeats in priority areas for Lula in the MP. With the approval of the PT, the government’s political articulation gave in to pressure from the centrão, mainly from the ruralists, to shield the Civil House, responsible for executing the most important projects for the president, such as the PPI (Investment Partnership Program).

On the other hand, some competences of Conab (Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento) that would initially be transferred from the Ministry of Social Development to the Ministry of Agriculture, remain in their original portfolio.

This movement can be considered a victory for minister Paulo Teixeira (Agrarian Development) who has been trying since Tuesday (24) to re-establish these attributions.