Panel SA: Lack of Ciesp in pro-democracy letter signals disagreement at Fiesp

The absence of Ciesp among the signatories of the manifesto “In Defense of Democracy and Justice”, released last week, drew attention in the industry.

While Fiesp, chaired by Josué Gomes, not only endorsed but also released the document, Ciesp remained unsigned.

Josué is also part of the Ciesp board, as first vice president, but the entity is chaired by Rafael Cervone Netto. Sought by the SA Panel, Ciesp declined to comment on the matter.

Josué’s decision to endorse the pro-democracy movement, at a time when Bolsonaro reiterates his attacks on the polls, did not have unanimous support at Fiesp.

Of the nearly 110 signatories of the manifesto, only 18 were unions affiliated with Fiesp. As a basis for comparison, another letter released last year, led by his predecessor, Paulo Skaf, who ran Fiesp and Ciesp simultaneously, was endorsed by more than one hundred business entities. The letter had a less assertive tone and sent a diffuse message to all Powers.

The disagreement had already been making noise since last month, when Fiesp released its document with guidelines for presidential candidates and in it mentioned the importance of defending the democratic rule of law.

As Panel SA showed last month, the gesture displeased part of Fiesp’s base members.

Joana Cunha with Paul Ricardo Martins and Diego Felix