Marun: "I don't accept that the Temer government was wrong"
Asked if the government erred in not anticipating the start of the movement or in not diagnosing its strength during negotiations, Marun said: "I don't admit that the Temer government erred," and added: "We acted in accordance with the law and the rule of law"; he also admitted, in a statement to Globonews, that they were "surprised" by the fact that the strike continued.
By Mariana Tokarnia, reporter for Agência Brasil - The Minister of the Government Secretariat, Carlos Marun, said this Friday, the 25th, that the subsidies granted by the government to Petrobras for controlling fuel prices will not be funded by tax increases. "It will not be through [increased] taxes," he assured. According to him, R$ 5 billion from the Union Budget will be allocated for this purpose.
To reach an agreement with the truck drivers and end the strike, the government committed to fixing diesel prices every 30 days, taking into account the immediate 10% reduction that is also part of the agreement. Petrobras will continue with its current price adjustment policy, and the government will pay the company the difference.
Even amidst fiscal adjustment measures, in an interview with Globo News, Marun defended the measure. "Petrobras is an asset of Brazil," he stated.
Despite the agreement signed yesterday (24), the truckers' protest continued today (25). Faced with the situation, President Michel Temer authorized the use of federal forces to remove the trucks from the roads.
Asked if the government erred in not anticipating the start of the movement or in not diagnosing its strength during negotiations, Marun said: "I don't admit that the Temer government erred," and added: "We acted in accordance with the law and the rule of law."