Renan: new minister has full support from PMDB.
Senator states that Mendes Ribeiro's selection has the support of both the party leadership and the rank and file.
The leader of the PMDB in the Senate, Renan Calheiros (AL), stated that the nomination of Congressman Mendes Ribeiro for the Ministry of Agriculture has the approval of the PMDB leadership and the party as a whole. "(Mendes) has the unconditional support of the party, more than ever the PMDB is united, we have demonstrated this, especially in recent days," he declared.
The choice of the gaucho reopens the vacancy for government leader in Congress, which was disputed between the PMDB blocs in the Chamber and the Senate. Renan had nominated Senator Eduardo Braga (PMDB-AM) for the position. However, the indication from the Planalto Palace is that the vacancy should remain with the deputies.
Renan added that Mendes "is one of the best members of the PMDB and has all the necessary qualifications" to continue the work the party was doing in the Agriculture Ministry. According to him, the fact that he is from Rio Grande do Sul, a state with a strong agricultural profile, is an additional factor in his favor.
Finally, the PMDB leader said that former minister Wagner Rossi left his post "without any known facts that would discredit him." According to Renan, Rossi "patiently answered all the questions he was asked." But the public backlash from the accusations, which began to affect his family members, led him to resign, according to Renan.
Rossi left his post under pressure from allegations of corruption and influence peddling. The first accusation reported in the press was that lobbyist Júlio Fróes had an office at his disposal in the Ministry of Agriculture to orchestrate business deals. The latest allegation was that Rossi traveled on a private jet belonging to Ourofino Agronegócios, a company that sells vaccines and does business with the ministry where Rossi served as minister.