Olavists and Military Press Bolsonaro to Drop Newly Selected Minister of Education

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Political groups connected to Olavo de Carvalho and the military in the government are pressuring President Bolsonaro to reverse the invitation made to the current Secretary of Education of Paraná, Renato Feder, to head the Ministry of Education (MEC).

Even before being officially announced, Feder has already become the target of the Bolsonarist ideological group and base on social networks.

Olavists have a history of successful discrediting campaigns on social media that have led to the resignation of ex-Secretary of Culture, Regina Duarte, and ex-Minister of Health, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, and the Government Secretary, Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz.

They point out his connection with Governor João Doria and say that the selection was made to please entrepreneurs and appease the ideological warmongers.

For their part, the military wing was surprised by the President’s invitation, and favor a name linked to them, which they believe has greater political strength. They also began to disclose inconsistencies in his résumé.

Feder holds a degree in Business Administration from the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV). His résumé on the Lattes platform states that he holds a “Master’s in Progress” in Economics from the University of São Paulo (USP) since 2002. However, the website of the Paraná Education Secretariat states that he holds a “Master’s in Economics”.

Résumé inconsistencies, such as a suspected master’s dissertation fraud at FGV and the completion of a doctorate denied by the National University of Rosario (Argentina), are among the factors that led to the downfall of economist Carlos Alberto Decotelli, who never even took office.

The suspicion of tax evasion by Multilaser, a company of which Feder is a partner, are also points against Feder, as well as his alleged connection with the Centrão party bloc – Feder had the support of the governor of Paraná, Ratinho Jr of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the party founded by a former mayor of São Paulo Gilberto Kassab. PSD members are part of the congressional Centrão voting bloc, now relied on by President Bolsonaro to avoid any impeachment efforts.

The Minister of Communications, Fábio Faria, is also a member of PSD. When he announced Faria for the position in June, Bolsonaro said it had been a personal choice.

For the military, Feder is an entrepreneur who wants to make a career in politics but lacks experience. The Paraná Secretary has the backing of the Lemann Foundation, for one, something that also displeases the military.

The name also failed to please some evangelicals, whose leaders in Congress have also pressured the President. The same occurred with educator Mozart Neves, who was himself invited to be a Minister at the start of the Bolsonaro government, but later the President reversed due to pressure.

On the other hand, educators and institutions praise the selection of Feder, because he has experience in public education management.

The SEMESP, an organization that includes private universities in São Paulo, released a note stating that the appointment “renews expectations that under his administration MEC will succeed in overcoming the difficult challenges faced by Brazilian education” since he would have already “expressed his inclination for more efficient, consistent and objective public policies and more innovative educational strategies.”

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