President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) praised, this Friday (1), the approval in the Senate of the PEC (Proposed Amendment to the Constitution) that authorizes the spending of billions outside the spending ceiling, in an election year, and demanded from governors Northeast to lower fuel prices.
The statements were made during a visit to the ring road duplication work in Feira de Santana (109 km from Salvador). Supporters cursed former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and governor Rui Costa (PT) during the chief executive’s speech.
The PEC was approved on Thursday night (30) in the Senate with measures that will have a total cost of R$ 41.25 billion. The text gives the government the go-ahead to boost social programs until the end of the year without running into restrictions in the electoral law, which exist to prevent the use of the public machine in favor of any candidate.
When citing the approval of the PEC, the president cited the increase in AuxÃlio Brasil and was wrong to say that the benefit was increased from R$400 to R$700 – in fact, the amount will be R$600, valid until December of this year. .
The government was under pressure in the face of the proximity of the elections, and allies once again defended that Bolsonaro urgently approve a social package.
Bolsonaro also demanded recognition for the recent drop in fuel: “I would ask you: are you enjoying the drop in fuel? A little while ago, they blamed me for the increase.
He also chastised the governors of the nine states in the Northeast for taking legal action against the law that sets a ceiling on the ICMS tax rate on fuel.
“Unfortunately, the nine governors of the Northeast have filed a lawsuit against state tax cuts. They don’t want to collaborate with the people. […] They want to collect more and more and extort the Brazilian taxpayer,” he said.
The president also spoke about the completion of works to transpose the São Francisco River, the main water project in the Northeast region, and accused previous governments of diverting “money into the pockets of rogues who were on the government’s side.”
“Only with the indebtedness of Petrobras made by the red government [do PT], which is equivalent to R$ 900 billion, would be enough to transpose the São Francisco River 60 times. In other words, there is no lack of money, what was lacking was honest people to manage our Brazil”
Before, the president participated in a motorcycle ride between the airport and the place of the ceremony together with the former Minister of Citizenship João Roma (PL), pre-candidate for the government of Bahia.
Unlike the last motorcycle rides, the president wore a helmet for part of the journey, but removed his protective equipment on the final stretch, upon arrival at the ceremony site.
Jair Bolsonaro is in Bahia for appointments until Saturday (2), when he participates in a motorcycle ride in celebration of the Independence of Bahia, the date of the expulsion of the Portuguese from Salvador in 1823 and the milestone of the consolidation of the country’s Independence.
Three other pre-candidates also participate in festivities in the Bahian capital: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), Ciro Gomes (PDT) and Simone Tebet (MDB).
In Feira de Santana, the president arrived around 10:30 am, accompanied by a motorbike. The event venue was only full when the motorcyclists arrived with Bolsonaro. The group did not go through the on-site security search.
Initially, they were separated and further away from the stage, but were allowed to come closer by order of the president, who waved to security.
In the audience, people wore the colors green and yellow. Some T-shirts called for military intervention, others spoke of a printed vote. In between speeches, they shouted “myth”. During his speech, the city’s mayor, Colbert Martins (MDB), was booed by the president’s supporters.
Electoral legislation determines that this Friday is the last day on which the Chief Executive, or any other candidate, can participate in the inauguration of public works.
Acts with entourage, ceremony and speech, such as today, can be questioned electorally, even if they are not launching.
After the ceremony, the presidential entourage goes to Cruz das Almas, a city in the Recôncavo region of Bahia where they met the Bolsonarista mayor Ednaldo Ribeiro (Republicans).
Next, Bolsonaro will go to the city of Maragogipe, inaugurate the restoration works of a historic mansion that is the headquarters of the local philharmonic.
The president is seeking re-election this year, but is in second place in polls. According to a Datafolha poll, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) leads with 47% against 28% for Jair Bolsonaro.
The Northeastern voter is one of the groups in which the president’s rejection is greater: 65%. In the Northeast region, the PT stands out with 59% of voting intentions against 19% for Bolsonaro.
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