Lula, we need to talk more about Petrobras and Brazilian oil.

Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's discourse lacks a nationalist edge.

Anti-neoliberal sectors see a certain complacency on the part of the Workers' Party regarding the privatization of the pre-salt oil reserves and Petrobras.

This week, for example, the National Congress approved in committee Provisional Measure 975/2017, which provides tax incentives for foreign oil companies to participate in bidding rounds for pre-salt and post-salt blocks that will be held by the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) until the end of the year. However, there has been no strong statement from Lula or the PT's networks on this strategic issue.

Clearly, there is the combativeness of this or that PT parliamentarian, individually, but it is necessary that the party's higher leadership be won over to the argument of defending the national economy.

Corporate entities also suffer from a certain stagnation in the debate on the topic of "National Sovereignty." Unions and even central organizations have recently been more concerned with their own interests than with engaging in dialogue with society, and are therefore losing the debate in the realm of ideas.

Some pre-candidates in 2018, such as Ciro Gomes (PDT), are stating their position on the privatization of state-owned companies in the country. “Don't even think about privatizing Petrobras and Eletrobras. This isn't a matter of childish leftism. Brazil and Venezuela have surplus oil, and the US consumes more oil than it produces. Why would we hand that over to foreigners? This is strategic; it's an advantage we'll have to use for 30 years,” warns the PDT member.

Senator Roberto Requião (PMDB) is another who is not backing down in the face of the neoliberal wave. He calls Provisional Measure 975, issued by Michel Temer, "scoundrelly."
"The pre-salt layer is the Disneyland of global oil companies because extracting a barrel of oil costs three dollars, while a barrel is being sold for 50 or 60 dollars," says the PMDB member. "That's why a multinational should never be taking what belongs to Brazil, what the country is capable of operating," denounces the senator.

“Nigeria and Angola are not equipped to operate, they granted concessions, but they end up with 60% to 70% of the oil. Not here,” Requião states, as if confirming the “scoundrelly” nature of the privatization.

Lula, we need to talk more about Petrobras and Brazilian oil.