Silvio Santos' son-in-law in the Communications Ministry is "immoral," says FNDC.

Current Brazil Network - President Jair Bolsonaro issued Provisional Measure 980, which splits the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications and recreates the Ministry of Communications. To head the ministry, he nominated Congressman Fábio Faria (PSD-RN), who is married to Silvio Santos' daughter, the SBT television presenter Patrícia Abravanel.

"This appointment makes the opportunism and immorality of the President's actions even more evident. Bolsonaro is placing someone in charge of the Ministry responsible for controlling and overseeing radio and television concessions, and also for..." distribute advertising funds from the federal government, a person who is directly linked to a concession”, he states in a note released this Thursday (11) National Forum for the Democratization of Communication (FNDC).

"It is clear that President Jair Bolsonaro's real motives for splitting the two ministries are not related to adopting policies for the sector, but rather aim to use the state structure to garner political support and expand his base in the National Congress with the so-called 'Centrão' (center bloc) and unduly benefit allies, in this case a radio and television concessionaire," says the FNDC.

"It is evident that the appointment of Fábio Faria represents a blatant conflict of interest in the exercise of this function. Furthermore, it may constitute influence peddling and administrative misconduct on the part of the President of the Republic," the Forum also points out.

Check out the full note:

On the evening of Wednesday, June 10th, we were surprised by the publication of Provisional Measure No. 980, altering the organizational structure of the federal government to recreate the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Just like its extinction, the recreation of the Ministry was not accompanied by any debate from the current government about a public policy for the area of ​​Communication that would justify the splitting up; there is no indication of what the planning and objectives are that are intended to be achieved with the new body.

In addition to the dismantling, the provisional measure made another change to the government structure, removing the Special Secretariat for Social Communication (SECOM) of the Secretariat of Government of the Presidency of the Republic and subordinated it to the newly created Ministry of Communications.

It is clear that President Jair Bolsonaro's real motives for splitting the two ministries are not related to adopting policies for the sector, but rather aim to use the state structure to garner political support and expand his base in the National Congress with the so-called "Centrão" (center bloc) and unduly benefit allies, in this case a radio and television concessionaire.

This is the so-called "old politics" in action. These are the president's moves to try to escape political isolation and prevent proposals for his removal from office from advancing in the National Congress.

Furthermore, Jair Bolsonaro has already announced the new minister, federal deputy Fábio Faria (PSD/RN), who is the husband of presenter and one of Silvio Santos' daughters, Patrícia Abravanel. This appointment makes the opportunism and immorality of the President's action even more evident.

Bolsonaro has appointed to head the Ministry responsible for controlling and overseeing radio and television concessions, as well as distributing federal government advertising funds, someone who is directly linked to a concession.

The Silvio Santos group owns the concession for Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão (SBT), the second largest open TV network in the country, with 9 owned TV stations based in São Paulo, Jaú, Ribeirão Preto, São José dos Campos, Rio de Janeiro, Nova Friburgo, Brasília, Porto Alegre and Belém, in addition to partnerships in Rede Massa (40%), TV Sorocaba (20%), SBT Interior (40%) and TV Alterosa Leste (managed by Rede Alterosa). It also owns other companies in the financial, cosmetics and other sectors.

It is evident that the appointment of Fábio Faria represents a blatant conflict of interest in the exercise of this function. Furthermore, it may constitute influence peddling and administrative misconduct on the part of the President of the Republic, as stipulated in Article 4 of the Law on Administrative Misconduct: “Public officials at any level or hierarchy are obliged to ensure strict observance of the principles of legality, impartiality, morality, and publicity in dealing with matters that concern them.”

According to jurisprudence, administrative misconduct is the technical term for so-called administrative corruption, which, in various forms, distorts the Public Administration and affronts the core principles of the legal order (Rule of Law, Democratic and Republican State), revealing itself through the obtaining of undue patrimonial advantages at the expense of public funds, through the harmful exercise of public functions and jobs, through "influence peddling" in the spheres of Public Administration, and through the favoring of a few to the detriment of the interests of society, by granting illicit favors and privileges.[1]

It is public knowledge that SBT has been widely benefited by measures taken by the federal government since Michel Temer's administration. The network has, on several occasions, engaged in political proselytizing to defend government proposals, such as the Pension Reform, gave disproportionate airtime to candidate Jair Bolsonaro during the presidential elections, and recently, at Silvio Santos's direct order, omitted an entire edition of its news program to avoid a critical tone towards the President of the Republic. Such actions are in total violation of the obligations and rules of public broadcasting concessions, which explicitly prohibit proselytizing and prior censorship.

It is also important to highlight that, with the transfer of Secom (Special Secretariat for Social Communication) to the Ministry of Communications, Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) will also be subordinated to this ministry, at a time when the privatization of the company is on the government's agenda.

The National Forum for the Democratization of Communication has advocated in several documents for the return of the Ministry of Communications. However, we vehemently condemn Bolsonaro's measure, which creates a structure that is already rigged by private interests and at odds with the principles of morality, impartiality, and legality enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

São Paulo, June 11, 2020

National Forum for the Democratization of Communication

Executive
Center for Alternative Media Studies Barão de Itararé
Intervozes Collective
National Confederation of Workers in Educational Establishments (Contee)
National Federation of Journalists (Fenaj)
Unified Workers' Central (CUT)
Brazilian Association of Community Radios (Abraço)
Interstate Federation of Workers and Researchers in Telecommunications Services (Fitratelp)

1 - Administrative misconduct and the principle of morality, Vainer Marcelo Bernardes