Aécio and Anastasia on a collision course? PSDB denies it.
The senator and former governor failed to attend yet another important inauguration in Belo Horizonte, intensifying rumors that his relationship with the current governor is strained. But the PSDB (Brazilian Social Democracy Party) president in Minas Gerais denies this: "These rumors are a load of rubbish."
Minas 247 - Could it be possible that, in less than half of his term, Governor Antonio Anastasia (PSDB) is already at odds with his predecessor and political mentor, Senator Aécio Neves? The main PSDB leaders in Minas Gerais vehemently deny this and assure that the relationship between the two remains the best possible, but rumors of possible disagreements resurfaced after Aécio once again failed to attend an important inauguration in Belo Horizonte, that of BH-Tec, the state capital's technology park, which took place this Wednesday.
Read the text by the journalist. Denise Silva for the newspaper Nowadays:
The absence of Senator Aécio Neves (PSDB-MG) at yet another important inauguration yesterday in Belo Horizonte, the city's Technological Park, where the Secretary of Science and Technology of Minas Gerais, Nárcio Rodrigues, and the Governor of Minas Gerais, Antonio Anastasia, were present, rekindled rumors that the relationship between Aécio and Anastasia was strained.
When questioned by the press about the matter, Nárcio Rodrigues denied any ill-feeling between the two PSDB members and argued that the PSDB senator was absent because he was in Brasília participating in important votes.
"Aécio and Anastasia have a great relationship, they talk all the time and are very much in sync. They have a finalized and consolidated plan for the 2014 elections," he stated.
Following the same line of reasoning, the president of the PSDB in Minas Gerais, Marcus Pestana, also denied that there had been any fight between the governor of Minas Gerais and the PSDB senator. "These rumors are unfounded, they're a huge fabrication and a kick in the teeth. There are people trying to create political events, but the truth is that the relationship between the governor and the senator is solid. It has existed for ten years. They complement each other, each with their own talents and qualities," he stated. Pestana guaranteed that the governor and the PSDB senator will be together next week in meetings.
State Representative and municipal president of the PSDB party, João Leite, attributes the fact that the two politicians from the party are not appearing together at public events to Anastasia's recent trips. "The governor goes on a trip and the comments start immediately. There's no disagreement. The PSDB is a peacemaking party and has a larger political project that involves both Anastasia and Aécio," stated the representative.
Opposition. João Leite emphasized the importance of the two allies continuing to march together, disregarding the rumors, since, in his opinion, Brazil needs an alternative opposition project in the event of President Dilma Rousseff's reelection bid. "The Workers' Party president is well-regarded in the polls, but in contact with mayors and governors, we see the mess the federal government has been leaving behind. This is yet another reason that strengthens the PSDB and, consequently, the relationship between Governor Anastasia and Senator Aécio Neves," he argued.