Business leaders pressure government for better management of pandemic
Amid chaos in the Brazilian health system, with record number of deaths caused by Covid-19 and lack of inputs and equipment in hospitals, business leaders and bankers seated with Chamber of Deputies Speaker Arthur Lira (Progressive Party, PP, of Alagoas) and Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco (Democrats, DEM, of Minas Gerais) to discuss how the private sector can help with the fight against the pandemic and the growing crisis engulfing the country.
The opening of this front of dialogue comes at a time of growing dissatisfaction with the Bolsonaro administration's management of the crisis and reflects the perception that it is necessary to act to avoid even greater chaos in health and, consequently, in the economy.
In the first meeting, at the house of Albert Einstein Hospital's chairman Claudio Lottenberg, Mr. Lira heard from health experts that the situation is very serious and that, if there is no consensus within the government, the country will be brought to a halt. "The dispute between states and the federal government can't continue," said an important interlocutor from the health sector.
Hours later, at the home of Washington Cinel, owner of security company Gocil, Mr. Lira and the Senate's president were pressured by heavyweights of the Brazilian economy for practical actions. At the dinner table seated the founder of BTG Pactual, André Esteves, Bradesco's Chairman Luiz Carlos Trabuco Cappi, and José Olympio Pereira, CEO of Credit Suisse in Brazil. Also present were Carlos Sanchez of EMS, João Carlos Camargo, owner of FM radio Alpha, and executives representing the beer giant Ambev. Abilio Diniz, shareholder of Carrefour, and Flavio Rocha, owner of retailer chain Riachuelo, were connected to the meeting via Zoom.
"The health crisis is made explicit. Now, this is a humanitarian crisis," said Mr. Trabuco, who attended both meetings. For him, there needs to be "a [political] pacification" to face the pandemic.
Another participant, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that President Jair Bolsonaro gives "all the signs of unbalance" and that there is a lack of dialogue from the government. For this reason, he added, businesspeople have turned to the new legislative leaders, "who are reasonable people and speak clearly."
The business leaders committed to mobilize to increase the number of beds in hospitals, to help with the acquisition of inputs and equipment, but asked for collaboration between the executive and legislative branches...
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