Silva e Luna says that Petrobras ‘cannot do party politics’ and that ‘there is no place for adventurers’

Fired by Jair Bolsonaro (PL), the president of Petrobras, General Silva e Luna, said this Tuesday (29) that the company cannot carry out “party politics”, and that there is no place for adventurers in it.

In a lecture at the STM (Superior Military Court), he also said that “it is difficult for many people’s minds” to understand the role of the state-owned company and that he has already explained the price policy to “high-level authorities”, but that they enter into the “emotional side” and question why he can’t do public policy at Petrobras.

Silva e Luna was fired on Monday (28), after weeks of clashes with the president, since Petrobras made a mega-increase in fuel prices in early March. Bolsonaro publicly complained about the state-owned company.

The general defended more than once the PPI (international parity price), which the president himself has already tried to change, and said that “there is no place for an adventurer” at Petrobras.

“The company is supervised by more than two dozen inspection and control bodies and has a robust governance in compliance and sustainability. There is no place for adventurers within the company today, unless the legislation changes”, he said.

He will replace General Adriano Pires, current director of the Brazilian Center for Infrastructure (CBIE).

On Tuesday morning, supporters questioned the president about the resignation in the playpen at Palácio da Alvorada. The chief executive minimized the exchange, the second-in-command of the state-owned company since the beginning of the government.

“It was a routine thing, no problem at all,” he said.

The departure of Silva e Luna repeats that of Roberto Castello Branco, fired in 2021 by Bolsonaro after the company announced the fourth increase in diesel and gasoline prices in the year.

“It’s difficult for many people’s minds to understand: ‘But why don’t you do that?’, ‘Communicate in this way’, ‘I think you’re failing to communicate’. No, the company cannot make party politics. The company cannot make public policy, you can’t, the law doesn’t allow it”, said the general.

“I’ve already talked to high-level authorities, talking to the person, explain it there, he understands. He just understands, he’s in the rational, then he changes to the emotional side and starts asking: ‘But why don’t you lower the price of oil “Why don’t you put it in the I don’t know what? Why don’t you do public policy? Why don’t you do I don’t know what there and such?”. In my specific case, I came from Itaipu and I could do public policy there: ‘Because you you used to do it there and now you can’t do it here?’. Because of that, it’s the law”, he said.

The general found favor with Bolsonaro for his management at the head of Itaipu Nacional, and from there he was raised to the command of Petrobras.

In practice, the exchange in the state-owned company will only take place in two weeks, at the company’s General Shareholders’ Meeting, when the government presents its list of representatives of the board of directors.

In the list, released on Monday by Planalto, there will not be the name of Silva and Luna. The collegiate is responsible for defining the company’s strategic plan.

According to the government statement, the president of Flamengo, Rodolfo Landim, another strong name to command the state-owned company, will occupy a seat on the council along with Adriano Pires. Landim was nominated for chairman of the board.

After the inauguration of the new directors, Pires will be led to the executive board, assuming command of the company.

The other members of the council appointed by the government are: Sonia Villalobos, Luiz Henrique Caroli, Ruy Schneider, Marcio Weber, Eduardo Karrer and Carlos Eduardo Lessa Brandão.

Silva e Luna had the support of the government’s military, but he was targeted by Bolsonaro and the mayor, Arthur Lira (PP-AL).