247 - Amid tensions between the Executive and Legislative branches, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) sent a message of thanks to the President of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP), for the approval of provisional measures in the last two days. The message was transmitted by the government leader in Congress, Senator Randolfe Rodrigues (PT-AP).
According to the column by journalist Valdo Cruz, from G1, during the conversation with Randolfe, Alcolumbre showed himself willing to resume negotiations with the government, but classified as dangerous the actions of sectors linked to the PT and the government itself, which, according to him, were encouraging attacks on Congress and encouraging a “class war”. The senator also stated that this type of campaign represents a risk to democracy.
Randolfe promised to convey to Lula the concerns expressed by Alcolumbre. Interlocutors reported that the president of the Senate has a negative view of the use of social media to foster a climate of confrontation, which, according to him, only contributes to deepening divisions in the country. “The government has every right to defend ‘tax justice,’ but not by creating a climate of division in the country between the rich and the poor,” Alcolumbre is reported to have said, in relation to the tension generated by the repeal of the presidential decree that raised the Tax on Financial Transactions (IOF).
Earlier, Alcolumbre had already met with the executive secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Dario Durigan. The meeting, requested by Durigan, aimed to reopen the channel of negotiation between the Executive and Legislative branches. During the meeting, the president of the Senate reinforced that he was open to dialogue, but reiterated his criticism of the confrontational stance adopted by government allies, especially against the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB).
The criticism gained even more strength after the circulation of videos on social media, allegedly produced using artificial intelligence, which portray Motta in a derogatory manner. In the videos, without identifying the author, the parliamentarian is called “Hugo Doesn’t Care”, appearing at events with rich businessmen while “laughing at the poor”.
The digital offensive generated a strong reaction. Irritated, Motta demanded action and, faced with the pressure, Lula's political negotiators rushed to defend him publicly. The Minister of Institutional Relations, Gleisi Hoffmann, used social media to state that"debate, divergence, and political dispute are part of democracy. But none of this authorizes the personal and unqualified attacks on social media against the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Congressman Hugo Motta, which I repudiate."
Along the same lines, the government leader in the Chamber of Deputies, José Guimarães (PT-CE), highlighted that “despite the recent setback faced by the government in the IOF vote, this cannot be used as justification for personal attacks directed at Hugo Motta”. Guimarães also defended the continuation of the debate on tax reform, emphasizing that the government’s cause is against structural inequalities, not against individuals. “Our fight is not directed against individuals, but in favor of principles and proposals”, he concluded.
