Pimenta becomes the target of criticism due to crises in the Lula government

Communication in the third term of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) has led government leaders to criticize behind the scenes the strategy adopted by the Minister of the Special Secretariat for Social Communication (Secom) of the Presidency of the Republic, Paulo Pimenta. The “friendly fire” against Pimenta gained strength in recent weeks, after he even announced that there would be a cut in Banco do Brasil’s sponsorship of Agrishow, the largest agricultural fair in Latin America, which did not happen.

The crisis gained repercussions after the Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro, withdrew from participating in the event because of the invitation made to former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL). According to Planalto members, Pimenta announced the cut of the institution’s sponsorship without prior alignment with the other sectors of the Executive.

“Discourtesy and change of character from an institutional event for the promotion of agribusiness to an event with political and ideological characteristics. Either it is a plural and non-partisan business fair or it cannot be publicly sponsored”, defended the minister of the Social Communication Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, Paulo Pimenta.

The assessment of PT leaders is that Pimenta’s movement ended up amplifying the crisis and the difficulties in getting closer to Lula with agribusiness. After the negative repercussions, Fávaro tried to get around the episode, said that there would be no cut and defended the expansion of resources for the sector. “There is, under no circumstances, any withdrawal of investment”, minimized Fávaro during a meeting with the Parliamentary Front for Agriculture (FPA).

But, this Friday (12), Lula himself aggravated the crisis, which seemed to have passed, by calling agro-businessmen in São Paulo fascists.

In addition to this episode, government supporters believe that Planalto communication has caused “unjustifiable” noise even with the press. In March, for example, Pimenta was criticized after he tried to disqualify the presenter of CNN Brazil Raquel Landim during an interview for the station.

At the time, the Secom minister questioned Landim’s qualifications after being questioned by her about President Lula’s speech, who suggested, without evidence, that the criminal faction’s plan was a “setup” by Senator Sergio Moro (União Brasil-PR). PCC against authorities. “Are you a journalist?” asked the minister. The presenter countered and replied that yes, “graduated from the University of São Paulo”.

“I am a journalist, yes. My role is to ask questions; that of public authority should be to bring clarifications,” Landim wrote on a social network. Also through social media, Pimenta denied the intention of offending or disqualifying the journalist.

Opposition points to alleged “hate office” led by Lula’s Secom

At the same time, members of the opposition in the Chamber of Deputies point to the existence of an alleged “hate cabinet” of Lula and that Secom officials would be behind a series of attacks against big techs and parliamentarians contrary to the Fake News PL. The information was disclosed by the portal metropolises. The government was approached by the vehicle, but did not give a return on the issue.

The material presented by the opposition – which would have been released by the PT’s “hate office” – contains images that try to associate companies that own large social networks and opposition deputies with the terrorist attacks that took place in schools across Brazil recently. There are still pieces attacking deputy Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG), pointing out that he would be against the project that can “prevent criminals from using networks to plan attacks”.

The folder shared by Google Drive would be associated with an alleged email from a member of the folder commanded by Paulo Pimenta. There would also be files modified by users who would also be Secom employees. For the opposition, Secom would be using the same tactics that it would try to prevent with the Fake News PL.

“This information demonstrates the need for a rigorous investigation into the conduct of these officials and the Social Communication Secretariat of the Presidency. say they want to fight disinformation”, defended deputy Kim Kataguiri (União-SP).

Pimenta becomes the target of the opposition within the Chamber of Deputies

Minister Paulo Pimenta’s performance has also generated wear and tear for the Planalto Palace within the National Congress. Last week, for example, PT parliamentarians had to negotiate so that the head of Secom would not be summoned by the Communications Committee of the Chamber.

Deputy Filipe Barros (PL-PR) presented the summons request, after Pimenta refused the collegiate’s invitations. The minister even suggested that he would have a schedule to participate in the hearing only at the end of this month, which provoked reactions from the opposition. Unlike the invitation, the summons, if approved, obliges the minister to attend the collegiate.

“It is good form for ministers, by their own free will, to attend each commission that affects their ministry. But the minister of Secom sleeps in a splendid cradle and does not come to this House. Other invitations were made and these invitations were solemnly ignored by Minister Paulo Pimenta”, criticized Barros.

According to the parliamentarian, the minister needs to provide clarification on the threat to cut sponsorship to Agrishow, in addition to the government’s action on the Fake News PL, and on the information checking website launched by the government.

The platform, called “Brasil contra Fake”, aims to select news with disinformation potential that may harm members of the government, or that are related to topics of interest to the Executive, and oppose it with the “official” version of the government.

Deputy Bibo Nunes (PL-RS) accused the minister of Secom of behaving as “more realistic than the king”. “The invitation was made, but this is not the first time that minister Paulo Pimenta has tried to be more realistic than the king. It is what he likes to do, I know well. This is a disdain for this commission and we have to demand at least a little more respect”, shot Nunes.

Faced with the mobilization of the opposition, members of the governing base sewed an agreement for Pimenta to appear before the collegiate on the next 24th. So, it would not be good form to convene, since he made available dates”, minimized the deputy Carol Dartora (PT-PR).