Paulo Pimenta and Gleisi Hoffmann attack the press on social media PT members accuse journalistic outlets of sabotaging the country’s sovereignty in oil and gas %%page%%

Historical figures from the Workers’ Party, the minister of the Social Communication Secretariat of the Palácio do Planalto, Paulo Pimenta (PT-RS), and the president of the PT, Gleisi Hoffmann, attacked strongly this Sunday (21), through their social networks , the journalistic outlets for acting against the “sovereignty of the country” with “surrender and subservience to foreign interests”.

The reaction is due to the return to the news about the series of Lava Jato scandals, an operation that investigated in the recent past cases of corruption in PT governments in state-owned companies, especially Petrobras. The matter came to light after the resumption of work at the Abreu e Lima refinery, in Pernambuco, an icon of overpricing and misappropriation of resources revealed by Lava Jato. The newspapers also published editorials recalling corruption and criticizing the government’s anti-privatization policy.

The first post, published on X (formerly Twitter), was by Pimenta, suggesting the old PT thesis of collusion between the media and sectors of the economy contrary to the country’s development and sovereignty “in the area of ​​oil and gas”. The objective of the press would also be to “shield the failure of privatizations”.

“Two facts draw attention due to the synchrony and articulation of the large corporate media: 1) a speech against any sovereign attempt by Brazil to regain control of its energy policy, especially in the area of ​​oil and gas. 2) an attempt to shield the failure of privatizations as ‘modern and efficient’ measures to guarantee management, investments and quality of service to users of electricity company services”, the minister posted on X.

Hours later, Hoffmann endorsed Pimenta’s criticisms, accusing the newspapers Folha de S. Paulo, The Globeoe The State of S. Paulo of having in common a “long history of surrender and subservience to foreign interests”. Everyone, according to the PT president, has acted in concert throughout recent history, at various times.

The vehicles, wrote Gleisi, “defended” and “applauded” the privatizations of CSN (Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional), Vale, BR Distribuidora (now Vibra Energia) and Eletrobras. They also “celebrated the dollarization of fuel prices and the reduction of Petrobras to a mere oil explorer”.

The deputy also stated that the newspapers supported the “coup” against President Dilma Roussef and were “accomplices” of Sergio Moro (União Brasil-PR), “who destroyed the Brazilian engineering, oil and gas industry”.

See the publication.

Lula had already set the tone for the PT narrative

Last Thursday (18), during the ceremony promoted by Petrobras for the resumption of investments in Rnest (Abreu e Lima Refinery) in Ipojuca (PE), President Luiz Inácio da Silva had set the tone of the speech, stating that the The state-owned company is recovering its “identity as a company for all Brazilians”.

Lula took advantage of the occasion to give his narrative of what Lava Jato would have been like: “Everything that happened in this country was a collusion between some judges from that country and some prosecutors from that country subordinate to the United States Department of Justice, who never accepted Brazil having a company like Petrobras”, stated the Chief Executive at the event.

Due to Lula’s speeches, the agreement between Petrobras and judges and prosecutors with the US Department of Justice, signed in 2018, was republished. In the document, the state-owned company recognizes all the wrongdoings committed and takes responsibility for what happened. In order for the investigations to be closed, the Brazilian company agreed to pay US$853.2 million (around R$4.2 billion in January 2024 values).