Deyvid Bacelar criticizes the risk of privatizing PBIO on Petrobras' 72nd anniversary.

247 - On the 72nd anniversary of Petrobras, celebrated this Friday (3), the general coordinator of the Unified Federation of Petroleum Workers (FUP), Deyvid Bacelar, criticized the current management of the state-owned company and the possibility of privatizing Petrobras Biocombustíveis (PBIO). The event took place in Candeias, in the Metropolitan Region of Salvador, and brought together workers in defense of the company.

Bacelar stated that the moment should be one of celebration, but reality demands mobilization. "On the day we could be blowing out 72 candles on Petrobras' birthday cake, we are in the midst of a struggle here in Candeias, holding a protest against the possibility of privatizing Petrobras Biocombustíveis and, believe it or not, the Bahia Terra Polo itself," he said.

"Petrobras was born from the struggle of the Brazilian people."

In his speech, the union leader recalled the company's origins, a result of popular mobilization during the "The Oil is Ours" campaign between 1948 and 1949. "There were international interests that said there was no oil here and no need for Petrobras. In other words, Petrobras was born in 1953 from the struggle of the Brazilian people, when the oil workers' category emerged," he emphasized.

Bacelar recalled that, since then, several privatization attempts have been resisted by workers. “We held the largest strike in history in 1995, a 32-day strike that prevented privatization. And a few years ago, under the Bolsonaro government, we held a victorious strike against the privatization of Petrobras in 2020,” he emphasized.

Criticism of the current management of the state-owned company.

Despite being an advisor to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Bacelar did not hold back in his criticism of Petrobras' management. He stated that the business model designed by the current administration does not represent the government program supported by the oil workers. "I am absolutely certain that President Lula is against this business model envisioned by the current Petrobras administration of partnering with Oleoplan, known for fatal accidents and non-compliance with safety and labor regulations," he declared.

According to the union leader, PBIO should be permanently incorporated into Petrobras, reinforcing its strategic role in the energy transition. "It's unacceptable that this government, which we helped build and which opposes privatizations, has a possibility of privatization at the expense of PBIO. PBIO is the arm of this energy transition," he stated.

Family farming and just transition

Bacelar recalled that, when created during Lula's government, Petrobras Biocombustíveis aimed to promote family farming and allow for a just transition, with farmers participating in the supply of oilseeds such as castor beans, palm oil, and pine nuts. "With the new Petrobras that emerged under President Lula, PBIO, for the first time in its history, made a profit. And now that it is making a profit and once again involving family farmers and recyclable material collectors, the management decides to implement a new privatization model," he criticized.

"Petrobras belongs to the Brazilian people."

In the final part of his speech, Bacelar reinforced the public nature of the state-owned company. "Petrobras is a company of the Brazilian people. It doesn't belong to agribusiness, foreigners, or minority shareholders who try to dictate Petrobras's direction through four representatives on an 11-member board," he said.

With his traditional orange lab coat and cap bearing the inscription Brazil belongs to Brazilians.The FUP coordinator also highlighted recent social achievements, such as the approval of income tax exemption for those earning up to R$ 5 and the taxation of the super-rich. According to him, measures like these were only possible thanks to popular mobilization. "This was only approved due to the struggle of the people and social and labor movements," he concluded.