Chaos in Parente intensifies on Saturday: Brasília has 40 canceled flights.

Brasilia 247 – The damage caused by Pedro Parente, a central figure in the coup, with his irresponsible policies at Petrobras is deepening. This Saturday, 40 flights were canceled in Brasília and 11 airports are without fuel. Michel Temer has not yet dismissed him because, according to Ambassador Samuel Pinheiro Guimarães, his bosses – the United States – do not allow it. Check out the Reuters report on the fuel shortage and Ambassador Samuel Pinheiro Guimarães' interview with TV 247:

BRASILIA (Reuters) - The truckers' protest against the high price of diesel, which caused shortages across the country and affected production in various sectors, continued on Friday, despite an agreement announced by the government, and President Michel Temer ordered the use of federal forces to clear highways, stating that the protesters "do not have the right" to paralyze the country.

The decision to call in federal forces was made on the fifth day of a national strike that the government believed it had resolved the previous day by announcing an agreement with the truck drivers, but which remained in place due to the rejection of the proposal by some protesters.

"Those who block roads, those who act in a radical manner, are harming the population and, I emphasize, will be held accountable. We will guarantee free circulation, we will guarantee supplies," Temer said in a statement at the Planalto Palace, announcing that he had activated a security plan that includes the use of federal troops.

Following Temer's announcement, the Attorney General's Office (AGU) filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Federal Court (STF) for the immediate unblocking of roads, requesting authorization for the use of the Federal Highway Police, the National Force, and the military police to clear passage on highways and shoulders, in addition to the application of fines. That evening, Justice Alexandre de Moraes of the STF granted the government's requests.

Temer also signed a decree to institute Law and Order Guarantee (GLO) actions, which allows the use of the Armed Forces throughout the national territory to guarantee supplies.

According to the government, the protests have decreased as a result of an agreement with representatives of the category that provides for the freezing of the price of diesel at the levels announced by Petrobras (PETR4.SA) this week for 30 days, among other points.

The Minister of Public Security, Raul Jungmann, said that the Federal Highway Police counted a total of 519 road blockades by early evening, none of them total, compared to a peak during the week of 938 road obstructions.

The government is confident of quickly normalizing supplies, but has options to take a tougher stance against protesters, such as issuing a requisition order that would authorize the use of force to seize control of private vehicles to curb shortages, ministers said.

According to authorities, the Duque de Caxias Refinery (Reduc), in Rio de Janeiro, where dozens of protesters were blocking the entry and exit of tanker trucks, has seen the situation almost completely normalized. Throughout the day, vehicles from the Armed Forces escorted at least one tanker truck that left the site.

After the federal government announced the use of federal troops to clear roads, the Brazilian Association of Truck Drivers (Abcam), one of the main associations responsible for the movement, asked protesters to remove the road blockades, but to maintain peaceful demonstrations.

The organization, however, reiterated that it continues to refuse to sign any agreement with the government, and that it maintains its demand for the removal of PIS/Cofins taxes on diesel to end the strike that began on Monday.

According to information from the country's largest highway concessionaires, partial traffic blockages continued on several highways, such as the Presidente Dutra, which connects São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

IMPACTS OF SUPPLY SHORTAGES

Due to supply problems caused by the strike, the São Paulo City Hall declared a state of emergency, while Rio de Janeiro declared a state of alert due to the blockades. The shortages significantly reduced traffic in major cities during peak hours.

In some markets, there are shortages of food products such as fruits, vegetables, and legumes, and the union of bars and restaurants has warned of a lack of products on menus. Some establishments have said they may close their doors over the weekend.

According to the National Confederation of Transport (CNT), 61 percent of the country's freight transport is done by road, and the Brazilian fleet consists of 1,77 million trucks.

The fuel shortage caused by the strike also left six towns in Rondônia without power, according to Eletrobras (ELET6.SA).

The protests have also once again affected several ports in the country, including Santos (SP), the largest and most important in Brazil. According to the São Paulo State Port Authority (Codesp), truck traffic at the port has practically ceased, and there has been a reduction in the reception and delivery of goods by the terminals, although ship loading and unloading operations continue to take place.

In the port of Paranaguá (PR), the protests reduced the normal cargo traffic for this time of year by 27 percent. The terminal recorded a drop in bulk exports, while fertilizer imports were interrupted at berths where cargo is transported by trucks.

In addition to the ports, the fuel shortage resulting from the strike is affecting airports. Airlines have canceled flights and adopted measures such as allowing customers to reschedule tickets free of charge.

Brasilia airport ran out of aviation kerosene reserves this morning, so aircraft landing at the terminal that require refueling will remain on the ground until the airport's supply is restored.

Automakers were forced to halt production starting this Friday due to the impact of the truckers' strike, according to the industry association Anfavea, which could weigh on one of the few sectors to show a strong recovery this year amid a weak economic performance.

Retail companies will feel the impact of the truckers' strike for about two months, with many consumer complaints about delivery delays, according to Edu Neves, executive director of Reclame Aqui (a Brazilian consumer complaint website), and other large companies, such as Votorantim Cimentos, the largest cement factory in the country, said they are experiencing difficulties and may halt operations over the weekend.

The protests have also raised concerns about the health risks in the country, as the supply of animal feed and the transport of animals and refrigerated cargo are compromised by the demonstrations.