Manifesto for democracy is ‘a lot of smoke and no fire’, says owner of Havan

An ally of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), the owner of Havan, Luciano Hang, says that the presence of big names of businessmen and bankers in the recent manifestos that ask for respect for the electoral system does not signal disappointment of the private sector with the president.

“I saw it there, they talk about a list of 3,000 businessmen who signed this manifesto. I’m going to tell you that there are millions of businessmen who sign a manifesto to the contrary”, says Hang.

He believes that the reactions of groups in society to Bolsonaro’s behavior are marketing and smoke.

“There are people who think they are more than they are, they want to write a letter. Letter doesn’t even exist anymore. Today we are in the era of Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp. These people who are still signing a letter are late”, he says.

For Hang, the president’s speeches about electronic voting machines are just a request for transparency. “In my opinion, what the president asks for is transparency in the elections. Whoever wins the vote takes it. Now, what the president asks for is transparency. That’s what I understand. That’s what he says”, says the businessman.

What is your opinion about this moment of forceful demonstrations in defense of democracy that were raised after the event that President Bolsonaro had with ambassadors putting the polls under suspicion? One’s point of view depends on where one is. I understand that all the marches, all the acts that have been carried out in Brazil since 2018 are acts for democracy, for freedom of expression and thought.

I have been in deeds, and always imbued with this purpose of expressing thoughts within peace and harmony. In our company, I try to say that no matter who it is, everyone has to speak up. The more it is discussed, the better the company goes. And we will have a better country when society can talk. Freedom.

Mr. made a post on social media saying that now all that is missing is the letters from the contractors. Was it a provocation to the bankers’ endorsement of the manifesto? Not. Is a joke. If everyone is going to pick up their profession and write a letter, the contractors should do it, because they were, perhaps, the most affected by the actions of Lava Jato and everything that happened.

Contractors who also write their letter asking Lula to return. I think everyone has their own position. My position is declared. I have my positions, and people will analyze whether I am right or wrong, based on my convictions and mainly on my arguments.

The arguments are what should inform the thinking and decision-making of other people who listen to me. As an entrepreneur for 36 years, I know where the shoe pinches.

Mr. Do you agree with the speeches made by the president in front of the ambassadors and with the speeches he has been making of suspicion about the polls? Would that be a way for him to defend himself against eventual defeat? In case of victory he will not question? In my mind, what the president is asking for is transparency in elections. Whoever wins the vote takes it. Now, what the president is asking for is transparency. That’s what I understand. That’s what he says.

Now, there are people on the other side of the mountain who haven’t heard well. In my position, that’s what he wants: transparency in elections.

Up front, whoever won will do the best work. From the moment the elections are over, when there is a democratically elected person, with the majority of Brazilian votes, that person has to run the country in the best possible way.

​We have seen the names of businessmen, leading economists, even bankers, signing these manifestos. In your opinion, are we experiencing a moment of disappointment in the private sector with President Bolsonaro? No way. I saw it there, they talk about a list of 3,000 businessmen who signed this manifesto. I will tell you that there are millions of entrepreneurs who sign a manifesto to the contrary. Millions, millions, millions. Some of them are even friends of mine. Everyone signs the manifest they want.

Now, I’m part of some groups of 200 or 250 people, who are all business people. Back in 2018, I should have 20, 30, 40, 50 groups of 250. So, if I have 30 groups of 250, there are thousands of people who think the opposite.

I think that’s a lot of marketing. It’s a lot of smoke and no fire. This manifesto thing is groups that think in a way, make a letter and take it there.

Now, if I were to get letters from all the cities, from the businessmen of associations that are on the president’s side, there would be no Correios that took so many letters to the Planalto.

There are people who think they are more than they are, they want to write a letter. Letter no longer exists. Today we are in the era of Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp. These people who are still signing the letter are late.