By Rodrigo Constantino*
(Opinion) It has only been two months, one shorter, but it seems like an eternity.
Apart from the moral hangover for Brazilians who have to put up with Lula as president, the economic and ethical deterioration has been somewhat accentuated, to the astonishment of the Toucans who allied themself with the left to “save democracy”.
Representative Carla Zambelli prepared a short list with some of the worsening items:
- 14 extra ministries and with corrupt ministers;
- a minister linked to militiamen; record deforestation in February;
- water cut in the northeast;
- Inflation rising;
- more taxes on fuel;
- poor people paying income tax;
- R$10 billion for “Culture”;
- R$4 billion for Argentina;
- return of alliances with dictatorships;
- unemployment rising;
- companies failing;
- stock market collapsing;
- real devaluing;
- Felipe Neto as internet censor;
- a measly R$9 million to “help” in the biggest tragedy in SP.
The list could go on because it is very long.
Meanwhile, the Bolsonaro government delivered an economic growing almost 3% and record profits in state-owned companies.
Petrobras made almost US$36 billion in profits!
This means a mountain of resources paid in taxes and invested.
According to the company, the investments made throughout 2022 totaled US$9.8 billion, an increase of 12% compared to 2021.
The company also paid the Union R$279 billion in taxes and government participation.
All this has its days numbered. A trade unionist will take over the state-owned company’s pension fund.
Senator Sergio Moro is already warning that Lula is bringing back corruption, and there are strong indications.
Companies are having farms invaded by the landless worker movement MST, a PT comrade.
Hapvida, which donated money to the PT campaign, saw its market value melt billions at the beginning of the year.
Market toucans who demonized Bolsonaro and voted for Lula must have believed, for some bizarre reason, that the economy would be run by Arminio Fraga or Henrique Meirelles and not Fernando Haddad.
Brazil, however, is taking great strides toward its Argentine destiny.
The PT wants to regulate the internet and the press, and transfer the GSI to the Casa Civil, to create its own Stasi.
Lula also defended “unity among Latin American countries to strengthen democracy”, which means, in practice, moving forward with the totalitarianism of the Foro de São Paulo.
Or does anyone think that Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua can strengthen democracy?
Not even the author of “Country of the Petralhas,” who today defends the head of the “Petralhas,” would say that!
None of this should come as a surprise. It was predictable. We tried to warn a lot.
The “isentões” ignored the warnings because they were disgusted by Bolsonaro. If we have this degree of deterioration in just two months, imagine in four years!
*Economist from PUC with an MBA in Finance from IBMEC; he has worked in the financial market for several years. He is the author of several books, including the best-seller “Esquerda Caviar” and the collection “Contra a maré vermelha”.
He contributed to vehicles such as Veja.com, O Globo newspaper, and Gazeta do Povo. He chairs the Deliberative Council of the Liberal Institute.
With information from Gazeta do Povo