RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – (Opinion) A PoderData poll conducted April 24-26, 2022, shows that 67% of the Brazilian population supports government intervention at Petrobras to lower the price of gasoline, which keeps breaking records in the country.
As expected, support for the intervention at Petrobras is lowest among the privileged, those who earn more than five minimum wages but who make up less than 10% of the Brazilian population.
Those who rejected this possible solution were 26%, while 7% did not know how to answer the question.
SELFISH PETROBRAS IS ONLY AFTER PROFITS BUT SHOW NO LOVE FOR THE PEOPLE
While countries such as El Salvador freeze fuel prices and Paraguay offsets fuel prices through taxes, rich Petrobras, one of the largest oil companies in Latin America, thinks only of its profits and leaves Brazilian households, more than 50% of which must now be considered poor, out in the cold.
Gasoline price reached a record high in the country at R$7.27 (US$1.45) per liter, or US$5.50 per gallon. GDP per capita in Brazil is about nine times lower than in the U.S., and the Purchasing Power Index is about one-third that of the U.S. Simply put, the cost of fuel is actually hurting Brazilians as much as if Americans had to pay a price of at least US$16.50 per gallon. Think about that for a moment. Americans are now at about US$5 per gallon and are screaming in anger.
But Petrobras does not seem to care that it kills consumption and sends people into poverty in this vast country without significant public transport and where driving is a necessity for most.
While the whole world is upside down, with the real possibility of a new world war, the Rio-based state company pretends that it is business as usual for them. It proves once again that it is out of touch with Brazilian reality.
We should remember that this company’s “greed record” is so bad that it was at the center of an investigation into the biggest corruption scandal ever uncovered in Brazil a few years ago. And it seems they have learned nothing from it and continue to alienate their People. Again, because of money.
This newspaper has a liberal economic stance. But we think that companies do have social responsibility. They do. A big one. And Petrobras is failing. And extraordinary times call for exceptional measures. Never before in the modern world has the largest country globally, Russia, simply been ‘canceled’, wiped out from Western maps, business and culture. The implications are massive, and something must be done.
Now or never is the moment to show greatness and compassion. To be on the side of the people. Not just on the side of shareholders.
SELF-SABOTAGE
No wonder only 33% of Brazilians want to privatize Petrobras; 50% are against it. A PoderData poll conducted April 24-26 shows that half of the Brazilian population (50%) believes the government should continue to own Petrobras. Only 33% believe that the state-owned company should be sold.
Considering that this company only has profits in mind while it is still controlled by the state, one can imagine how it will behave when it is privatized.
With their exquisite selfishness, Petrobras leaders ensure that this privatization will probably not happen. This is usually called self-sabotage. But maybe that’s exactly what the Petrobras bosses secretly want. Not to be privatized.