Bolsonaro Chooses Renato Feder as Minister of Education

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Jair Bolsonaro has selected the Secretary of Education of the state of Paraná and former executive Renato Feder to be the new Minister of Education. The decision was confirmed by administration sources.

Feder had met with Bolsonaro before the President chose Carlos Alberto Decotelli, who resigned after allegations of inconsistencies in his résumé. Last week, Bolsonaro had called Feder to thank him but said he preferred someone older. Decotelli is 70 and Feder is 42.

According to sources, the President had previously rejected Feder because of his relationship with the Governor of São Paulo, João Doria. When an entrepreneur, Feder donated R$120,000 (US$22,584) to Doria’s campaign for mayor.

Feder is now the Secretary of Education in Paraná and has worked for the São Paulo State Secretariat of Education.

In Paraná, his contacts with both entrepreneurs and the civic sector led him to be appointed to the position by Governor Ratinho Junior last year. During the pandemic, the State is among those that have quickly built a well-structured distance learning system with online classes.

In 2016, Feder donated R$120,000 to João Doria’s campaign to become mayor of the city of São Paulo. Feder’s name features on the Superior Electoral Court’s (TSE) website as the seventh-largest amount among Doria’s election campaign donors, which received R$12 million.

At the time, Feder was the owner of Multilaser, a technology company. His name does not feature among the donors of Doria’s more recent election campaign for governor.

Source: Terra