Uchôa explains why he withdrew his candidacy and criticizes Molon: "his driver is the secretary-general"

247 Journalist Marcos Uchôa spoke about the frustration he experienced when attempting his foray into politics and criticized the president of the PSB in Rio de Janeiro, Alessandro Molon, who is a candidate for the Senate.

The interview was published in the column of Monica Bergamo, in Folha de S. Paulo. He resigned from his candidacy for federal deputy after receiving no answer regarding the budget he could have with resources from the Party Fund.

"Since May I've been asking Molon (how much I would receive). Not to know the exact number, but the order of magnitude to plan. May passed, June passed, July passed. On Sunday, August 28th, not only did I not have the money, but I lacked information [about when I would receive it]. I realized it was too late," he tells the column. "It was as if they wanted me to play the final 15 minutes of the game," he commented, using a figure of speech typical of football, a sport he covered for many years on Rede Globo. He covered eight World Cups and 10 Olympic Games. 

But his work in journalism wasn't limited to sports. His resume includes wars like the Iraq War, earthquakes like the one in Pakistan, tsunamis like the one in Fukushima, and multiple editions of the World Economic Forum.

"I'm no Felipe Neto or a guy from Flow (Podcast), but I have a certain amount of weight. There are people who like my work," he said, regarding the impact he has on social media.

When asked about his motivations for considering running for the Chamber of Deputies, the journalist said that the first was to use his voice and credibility to warn society that four more years of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in the Presidency would be bad. Secondly, to tell Rio de Janeiro that, after successive administrations of governors who were imprisoned and removed from office, the state could be led by someone like Freixo. "Being elected, in fact, was the third and last of his priorities," he noted.

She says there were no meetings within the PSB (Brazilian Socialist Party) in Rio de Janeiro to define the structure for the campaigns. And she says there is a paralysis on the left, which prevents the renewal of political figures.

"I think this simply illustrates the moment of paralysis and anesthesia of a left wing that is doing well professionally, that has its maid, that has its structure, that can travel, that can be comfortable. And that complains, but at the same time doesn't want to change that much," he stated.

"How can there be no meetings to present the candidates? Not try to do something unusual, given that there's less money? In the case of Rio de Janeiro, this is Molon's responsibility. And, at the national level, it's Carlos Siqueira's [party president] responsibility. I saw a certain incompetence in the PSB in dealing with the needs of politics," he added.

Regarding Molon's management, he commented:

"Molon, the state president, has a responsibility in this. Why don't you delegate? Put a second person in charge of your party? The secretary-general (of the PSB in Rio) was his driver. I'm not making a value judgment, he may be great. But it seems strange to me to become state president and bring your driver with you."

"He doesn't have to like me, he doesn't have to think my candidacy had a chance. He has the right to his own judgment. But I, as the party's candidate, deserved a little attention."

The state president of the PSB in Rio de Janeiro, in turn, responded that it was impossible to anticipate the amount that would be allocated to his campaign without prior distribution by the national leadership of the PSB. "Before that, it was impossible to give an amount. It would be irresponsible," he stated.

Molon claimed that the party in Rio de Janeiro only received its share of the party fund on August 25th, just as happened in other states. "It affected all candidacies, including mine," the congressman stated. "Faced with this uncertainty, I launched a fundraising campaign to finance the campaign that I believe is necessary to win the elections," he continued.

The president of the PSB in Rio de Janeiro also stated that he sympathizes with Uchôa's complaint. "I understand this anguish, which I also experienced. I deeply regret it, but it wasn't up to me. I can't give what I don't have, only what I receive," he says.

Molon defends himself against the accusation that he is a bad manager. "Those who don't know party life can't imagine the number of challenges and problems a party leader has to deal with. With more party experience, he (Uchôa) will change his version of the challenges faced by a leader, which are not small."

And he says he hopes that, in a future election, the journalist will reconsider his resignation this year and run for office. "Unfortunately, it was the decision he made and it has to be respected. I hope he reconsiders, because the country needs people from various backgrounds, trajectories, and experiences to improve politics," he concludes.