by Bianca Oliveira
SAO PAULO – The resignation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ernesto Araújo, paved the way for the realization of a Ministerial Reform in the government of President Jair Bolsonaro. On Monday (29), Bolsonaro announced the change in command of 6 ministries in all.
The Minister of Defense, General Fernando Azevedo e Silva, was replaced by the Minister of the Civil House, Braga Netto. General Luiz Eduardo Ramos, who was in the Government Secretariat, was transferred to the Civil House. Federal deputy Flávia Arruda assumes Ramos’ vacancy.
The Ministry of Justice is now headed by Anderson Gustavo Torres in place of André Mendonça, who takes charge of the Federal Attorney General. For the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bolsonaro has already appointed ambassador Carlos Alberto Franco França.
The changes are the result of a series of political pressures that the government has been suffering from the worsening of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has already passed the 310,000 dead mark, with a daily average of 2,655 deaths. According to a more recent survey by the Datafolha Institute, popular rejection of Bolsonaro in the management of the pandemic broke a record and 54% of Brazilians see his performance as bad or terrible.
In the last week, a letter from businessmen and economists also called for a change in the direction of the government in relation to the health and economic crisis. More than 1500 representatives signed the document that called for an end to denialism and the creation of a Committee to combat Covid that brought together the country’s main leaders and experts.
Since the constitution of this group, last Wednesday (24), the leader of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira, raised his tone against the government and stated in plenary that he was “lighting up a yellow light”.
“Among all the possible political remedies that this House can apply at a time of enormous anguish for the people and their representatives,