Opposition tries to displace Meirelles clan in command of Faesp – 10/08/2023 – Market

On the one hand, a group led by a ruralist who hosted former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) on his farm, accompanies him on agendas and seeks to break the hegemony of a family in charge of an institution. On the other, a rural producer and son of the president of a rural organization since 1975, who in 2022 declared support for the re-election of the former president.

This is the scenario designed so far for the election to the leadership of Faesp (Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of the State of São Paulo), scheduled for December and which placed rural producer Paulo Junqueira, president of the Rural Union of Ribeirão Preto, on opposite sides. , and Tirso Meirelles, vice-president of the institution and son of Fábio Meirelles, 95, in office for 48 years.

The dispute involves superlatives. Faesp is the employer of São Paulo’s agriculture, with 235 affiliated rural employers’ unions and 340 base extensions that cover the 645 municipalities of São Paulo. Furthermore, although a minority, it is one of the associations that owns Agrishow (International Agricultural Technology Fair in Action), the main Brazilian agribusiness fair, held in Ribeirão and which generated R$13.29 billion in business intentions this year.

The entity was historically supported by mandatory union contributions. With the end of the obligation in recent years, resources of this type fell, but still accumulated more than R$3 million in 2021. In 2016, the transfer reached R$16 million (R$22.4 million, adjusted for inflation ).
With strong criticism of the current administration, Junqueira has been treated as a pre-candidate since March, when the issue was raised at a ruralist event in Ribeirão, in which Pedro Guimarães, former president of Caixa during the Bolsonaro administration, also participated.

He claims that Faesp is a fiefdom, as it has had a president for almost half a century and is now seeking to elect his son to the position, and has no transparency in relation to investments and actions. He said he is concerned about what he considers the mix of public and private involving Faesp and Meirelles’ children and that he does not see a return to trips made by Tirso abroad to participate in events.

Report from Sheet in 2017 it showed that the entity was used to serve the interests of the five children of Meirelles, who was a federal deputy for the then PDS between 1991 and 1995.

The statements are refuted by Tirso, who said that the opposition’s criticisms are unfounded and come from a minority that seeks to disrupt a democratic process within the federation.

Since announcing his interest in running, Junqueira has received support from ruralists from cities such as Araraquara, Araçatuba, Barretos, Batatais, São Carlos, Catanduva and Fernandópolis.

“I intend to compete together with presidents of other unions, directors, who are not satisfied with the current management. We put together a ticket, [mas] I don’t know if we’re going to make it, because that’s it [Faesp] It is a fiefdom, a hereditary captaincy, which has had a president for 48 years, who was previously director, has been there for almost six decades, directing and presiding over the federation. His son is one of the vice presidents […]in reality he has been the de facto president for some time now, because whoever represents the federation at any and all events, whether national or international, is no longer the de jure president”, said Junqueira, in relation to Tirso.

He stated that he will file his ticket “New Faesp, moralization and transparency in the entity” on Monday (9), when the five-day deadline for registration expires, according to the notice published on Wednesday (4) by Faesp in the Official Gazette of SP.

Junqueira criticized the short deadline, reduced by weekend days, and said that requested information is denied, whether by phone, email or official letters, and that the dispute is not transparent. “I don’t know how many unions are able to vote. To vote, the union cannot, for example, have outstanding dues.”

Junqueira, also president of Assovale (Associação Rural Vale do Rio Pardo), is a first-time Bolsonaro supporter, who accompanies the former president at events and hosts him on his farm, in Ribeirão Preto.

He released a letter of support for Bolsonaro during the 2022 election, sheltered the former president in the last two years when he visited Ribeirão to participate in Agrishow and frequently records videos of support, such as when he requested bank transfers via PIX to assist in Bolsonaro’s defense. .

He was also in Barretos in August, accompanying the former president on the stage of the Festa do Peão de Boiadeiro on the day he received the title of honorary citizen of the city.

“I don’t know if he’s my friend, but I’m his friend,” he said, in relation to the former president.

When asked if he sought Bolsonaro’s support to run for Faesp, he said he “wouldn’t involve him in that”. “I wouldn’t ask him for anything, ever. I even think it’s opportunistic. I honestly don’t think Bolsonaro has to get involved [numa eleição do tipo].”

Although he is named as the consensus name of the opposition group, he said that his objective is to participate in a ticket to contest the election and that he does not insist on being nominated for the presidency.

Leading an institution like Faesp gives a lot of visibility, due to the fact that São Paulo is the largest producer of sugar cane in the country and has the largest production of oranges in the world, in addition to other important crops, such as coffee.

The path, however, will not be easy for the opposition, taking into account the scenario of the last election, in December 2019, when Meirelles was re-elected with 98% of the votes – the vote is secret.

‘I FEEL AT COMFORTABLE’, SAYS TIRSO

Tirso, who holds the vice-presidency of Sebrae-SP, was at a dinner in the capital with Bolsonaro during last year’s campaign and, in August, welcomed deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL), son of the former president, to the federation. He also defended the MST’s CPI, saying he feared land invasions.

Faesp, like a large part of agriculture, defended support for Bolsonaro’s re-election, citing in a note that, “unlike its competitor [Lula]he [Bolsonaro] does in practice what he says in his speech, honoring his commitment to agriculture”.

Tirso said, in written responses to Sheetthat the criticisms made by Junqueira regarding the possibility of him succeeding his father in command of Faesp are unfounded, that Meirelles was always elected by representatives of São Paulo’s agribusiness and that the institution is democratic.

“This criticism is unfounded and comes from a minority that wants to destabilize and disrupt the internal electoral process with fake news […]. Faesp is a democratic institution, and, therefore, I feel comfortable and entitled to run for president to continue the work of the current board, in favor of rural producers.”

He also said that the federation has always held direct, transparent elections with secret votes. “Union presidents will always be able to choose the best option to command Faesp in a democratic way.”

Tirso also said that the electoral process has been underway for months, that voting on the composition of the board is the final stage of this cycle and that “everyone knew” that the election would take place at the end of the year.

“We are a transparent entity, and any and all questions made to the board, as long as internal rites are followed, are answered. Lies and slander will not intimidate us or prevent us from continuing with our work”, he said.

Regarding trips abroad, Tirso stated that they occurred because Faesp is respected not only in the country and, therefore, is invited to participate in events such as conferences, seminars and lectures abroad and that the events serve to present the specialties of São Paulo agribusiness and , often generating business for the sector.

The current vice-president also said that, if elected, his objective is to further develop the Sugarcane Center of Excellence, in Ribeirão Preto, and the first School of Technology and Big Data in São Paulo’s agricultural sector, in São Roque.