Lula holds meeting behind closed doors to try to contain crisis with Marina and Guajajara

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) opened a ministerial meeting at the end of this Friday morning (26) in order to contain the damage with ministers Marina Silva (Environment) and Sônia Guajajara (Indigenous Peoples). The meeting takes place behind closed doors after the two portfolios had their functions emptied by the National Congress with the approval of the Planalto Palace.

In addition to Marina and Guajajara, Lula’s meeting at Planalto was attended by the ministers of the Civil House, Rui Costa, of Management and Innovation in Public Services, Esther Dweck, of the Institutional Relations Secretariat, Alexandre Padilha, of the Social Communication Secretariat, Paul Pepper. Government leaders Randolfe Rodrigues (Congress), Jaques Wagner (Senate) and José Guimarães (Chamber) were also present.

The dismantling of the portfolios generated several criticisms against Lula, who was accused by allies of abandoning the environmental and indigenous agenda in the search for support within the National Congress. The defeats of Marina and Guajajara occurred this week during the voting in the mixed commission of the Provisional Measure that deals with the restructuring of the Esplanada dos Ministérios.

During the vote on the report by Deputy Isnaldo Bulhões (MDB-AL), the government leadership did not vote against the text. The justification of Lula’s allies is that the Executive was in a hurry with the procedure, since the MP will expire on June 1st. The Provisional Measure still needs to be voted on in the plenary sessions of the House and Senate.

Among other points, the Minister of the Environment lost, for example, the functions of the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR), responsible for controlling private lands and conflicts in preservation areas. The Minister of Indigenous Peoples, on the other hand, lost her attributions regarding the demarcation of new indigenous lands, which went to the umbrella of the Ministry of Justice, commanded by Flávio Dino.