Economy Minister Compared Unions to Nazism and Fascism

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In defense of any reforms that could restore the country’s finances, the Minister of Economy, Paulo Guedes, criticized the actions of Brazilian unions. He described the behavior of worker’s defense organizations as the practices of leaders such as Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.

Guedes took part in a seminar that debated the need to approve the Provisional Measure of Economic Freedom at the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), in Brasília.

Addressing the necessary changes in labor relations, such as the creation of “legal security” for contracts, Guedes stressed that the union’s behavior is tied to totalitarian regimes.

“What if surgeons decided to halt all over Brazil until their salaries were adjusted by ten percent? Is this defending one’s rights or attacking the Brazilian population?” he criticized.

Guedes then pointed out: “They [unions] act like Hitler and Mussolini, who organized workers to defend their own interests. The unions were born in totalitarian regimes and were under the influence of the Brazilian dictatorship,” he said.

According to him, during the military dictatorship in Brazil, union leaders allied with the regime to keep “super-soldiers”. The Armed Forces were in charge of the country between 1964 and 1985.

According to the minister, these organizations hamper changes that could improve the economy. “We are trying to change that. Before, Brazil used to welcome people. This was the border of growth. Today, everyone is leaving. Those who have money buy apartments in Miami,” he said.

Finally, Guedes advocated president Jair Bolsonaro’s reform agenda. In his view, the economic situation will only improve through “several reforms. Judging fairly, the time for reforms has come,” he added.

Guedes compared the unions to harshly criticized regimes. Nazism was born in the 1930s in Germany to strengthen the Germans at home. A conservative and protectionist approach marked the extreme of totalitarianism and resulted in the deaths of millions of people.

Fascism was born in Italy in the 1920s. The regime emphasized the nation and race over individual values and was represented by an autocratic government, centered on the image of a dictator.