Teixeira: Putting the Army on the streets is a sign of desperation.

SP 247 - Federal deputy Paulo Teixeira (PT-SP) harshly criticized the Michel Temer government.

"Instead of dialogue, riot police! Temer announces the use of the Armed Forces to unblock the roads. The usurper government does not review Petrobras' pricing policy and prefers to use force. Yet another desperate measure from this coup government!", the congressman wrote on Twitter. "Remembering is living. The PSDB (Brazilian Social Democracy Party) understands blackouts. With FHC (Fernando Henrique Cardoso), Brazil lived through dark times during the 2001 blackout. In 2014, the water blackout in São Paulo with @geraldoalckmin. Now, the fuel blackout with the usurper @MichelTemer, who managed to carry out the coup with PSDB support," he added.

The category demands a reduction in diesel prices. Since the beginning of the policy of daily adjustments to the prices of petroleum derivatives, on July 3rd of last year, Petrobras has increased the price of diesel at its refineries 121 times, a 56,5% increase, according to the Brazilian Infrastructure Center (CBIE). In just over ten months, the price per liter of the product went from R$ 1,5006 to R$ 2,3488.

The Temer government made the policy of adjusting gasoline prices follow the international price of a barrel of oil, in dollars, which further increased fuel prices.

Truck drivers remain on strike, even after the agreement signed with the government announced on Thursday night (24). According to the agreement, there will be a continuation of the 10% reduction in the price of diesel oil at refinery prices, already practiced by Petrobras, for the next 30 days, with financial compensation from the Union to the state-owned company. The document provides for the suspension of the strike for 15 days.

Another alternative discussed in the agreement was to eliminate the Contribution for Intervention in the Economic Domain (Cide), but, according to the Minister of the Civil House, Eliseu Padilha, this depends on the approval, in Congress, of a bill to reinstate payroll taxes. Truck drivers see this solution as insufficient because the tax represents only 1% of the total cost of diesel. Regarding the incidence of PIS/Cofins on fuel, the minister informed that the government is studying how to reduce it.

Dead end

After the truckers continued their strike, the Temer government decided that the Army would go to the streets with the objective of clearing highways and restoring fuel supplies. "I am announcing that I have activated the Federal Security Forces to unblock the roads and I am requesting that the governors do the same," he said. "The agreement is signed and fulfilling it is the best alternative. But the government will know how to exercise its authority," he stated.

The six largest trade union centers in the country released a statement this Friday (25) criticizing the initiative. "The government's proposal to call on the Armed Forces as an instrument of repression is like trying to put out a fire with gasoline, that is: it will only exacerbate the conflict and make a balanced solution more difficult. We want an agreement that takes into account the just demands of the workers and the needs of the country," says the statement signed by the leaders of CUT, Força Sindical, UGT, CTB, Nova Central and CSB (see here).