Brazil Congress Backs Lula’s Cabinet, But Tests His Green Agenda
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Loading... - Farida Jabrane
- 01 Jun 2023
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Brazil's lower house of congress has granted approval to a provisional measure that establishes the framework for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's cabinet. This decision comes as a relief for the leftist leader, as his government was on the brink of chaos. With a vote of 337-125 on Wednesday, lawmakers passed a modified version of the temporary measure that Lula had utilized to create numerous new ministries when he assumed office in January. However, this measure still needs to be approved by the Senate before it expires on Thursday.
To ensure approval, Lula took last-minute actions by convening emergency meetings with political allies and lower house Speaker Arthur Lira, following a delay in the scheduled vote. If the measure had expired, 14 out of Lula's 37 ministries, including Planning, Racial Equality, Indigenous Peoples, Culture, and Industry, would have ceased to exist. This would have posed a significant risk to key elements of Lula's agenda and his ability to accommodate various political allies.
While the measure's approval prevented such consequences, it required substantial concessions. The lower house's version of the measure curtailed some powers of Brazil's Ministry of Environment, posing a test to Lula's commitment to the green agenda he had promised to pursue. The changes transfer certain authorities from the ministry and its leader, Marina Silva, to other government bodies, including the administration of a database that monitors environmental information and conducts inspections to prevent deforestation on rural lands.
This modified measure is part of a broader offensive launched by congress, with conservative parties and an influential agribusiness caucus representing significant threats to Lula's environmental aspirations. These aspirations, which were outlined during his 2022 campaign, have garnered substantial international support since the beginning of his presidency. However, lawmakers have already relaxed certain regulations, which environmental experts believe will lead to increased deforestation. On Tuesday, they voted to impose additional restrictions on the establishment of Indigenous territories, approving legislation that limits the demarcation of new protected areas to lands occupied by tribes when Brazil's constitution was adopted in 1988.
The resistance from congress coincides with another clash that has divided factions within Lula's government. In May, Ibama, Brazil's environmental authority, blocked state-owned oil giant Petroleo Brasileiro SA's plans to explore an offshore frontier at the mouth of the Amazon River, an area renowned for its coral reefs and diverse marine wildlife. Ibama is currently reviewing this decision, which Marina Silva has defended despite protests from Petrobras and some members of the president's governing coalition.
Certain allies of Lula argue that his opponents in congress are attempting to exploit these differences to create a rift between the president and Silva, who has been the face of the government's environmental agenda both domestically and internationally. In the past, the two have had disagreements, as Silva left her role as environment minister during Lula's previous presidency in 2008. However, Silva has affirmed that she and Lula are now on the same page, emphasizing that the president still considers the environment a top priority.
Silva has shifted her criticism towards congress, asserting that its plans will have a negative impact on Brazil's global reputation. Lula's commitment to reversing the increasing levels of deforestation has earned him praise internationally and convinced countries like the US and UK to pledge funds for the protection of the Amazon rainforest. Silva warns that the international community will interpret the actions in congress as an attempt to impose the policies of former President Jair Bolsonaro, whose stance on environmental and climate change issues faced global backlash. She further cautions that these actions may jeopardize a pending trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, a South American bloc that includes Brazil. France had previously made its support for the agreement conditional on improved deforestation and climate policies in Brazil.
During a congressional hearing last week, Silva expressed her concerns, stating, "The credibility of President Lula and the Minister of Environment isn't enough. This will close our doors." While Lula eventually approved the changes to the structure of his government, potential vetoes of other measures could lead to a confrontation with congress at a time when he is still working to establish a solid base of political support.
Additionally, Brazil's Supreme Court is deliberating rules regarding the demarcation of new Indigenous territories in a case that may resume on June 7. Before that, the court will decide whether to authorize the construction of the Ferrogrão, a 933-kilometer (580 miles) railroad that would transport grain from the central region of the country through the Amazon area.
During a speech in Brasilia last week, Silva reaffirmed her commitment to fulfilling the government's environmental promises, declaring, "We have to resist, and we will resist."
