Lula’s visit to the agro fair should be marked by protests

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) arrives this Tuesday (5) in the city of Luís Eduardo Magalhães, in the interior of Bahia, in order to make a nod to agribusiness. The petista intends to participate in the opening of Bahia Farm Show 2023, the largest agricultural and business fair in the North and Northeast.

Despite the government’s efforts, producers who will be present at the event do not rule out demonstrations against Lula’s participation. The fair takes place in Luís Eduardo Magalhães, a municipality in Bahia where former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) defeated Lula in the electoral dispute last year.

According to Federal Deputy Captain Alden (PL-BA), exhibitors are threatening not to open their stands during Lula’s visit to the event. “There is a proposal of retaliation for his presence in the place. Several producers who are setting up their stands are threatening not to open during Lula’s visit”, stated the opposition deputy.

Still according to him, who will be present at the event, the city is “mostly conservative”. To try to minimize the impacts of possible protests, the expectation is that the event will be closed only for Lula’s participation. With this, the external public should access the space only after the opening ceremony and the departure of the PT member.

Lula’s trip takes place after a clash with Agrishow in São Paulo

Lula’s participation in the event comes after the PT government clashed with the agribusiness sector at Agrishow, in Ribeirão Preto (SP), in May. The Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro, stopped participating in the fair. At the time, the Planalto Palace threatened to withdraw Banco do Brasil’s sponsorship of the event, which is the largest fair in the sector in Latin America, because of the invitation by the organizers to Bolsonaro.

For federal deputy Rodrigo Valadares (União-SE), it is regrettable that the president uses agribusiness as a political game. “Lula’s visit to the Bahia Farm Show was, to say the least, necessary. It is your duty to get to know what agribusiness in our Northeast has to offer and what it is already delivering to Brazil,” he said.

“I only regret that the decision to go is merely revanchist for President Bolsonaro’s trip to Agrishow in São Paulo, at the beginning of last month, wanting to create a narrative of agro do good and agro do mal”, completed Valadares.