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Brazil’s president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday named former Sao Paulo mayor Fernando Haddad, viewed unfavorably by many in the business community, as his finance minister. online news
“(I chose) comrade Fernando Haddad as Minister of Finance,” Lula said during a press conference in the capital Brasilia.
Lula also tapped Mauro Vieira as foreign minister, Flavio Dino as justice minister, Jose Mucio Monteiro as defense minister and Rui Costa, governor of the province of Bahia, as chief of staff.
Haddad, 59, who served as education minister from 2005 to 2012, succeeds powerful liberal economy minister Paulo Guedes, an ally of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.
After Lula’s new government takes office following his January 1 inauguration, the economy ministry will be dissolved and transformed into finance, industry and planning agencies.
When Haddad’s name started circulating for the role, markets reacted with unease, viewing him as too much on the left.
Vieira is a 71-year-old career diplomat who has already served as foreign minister as well as ambassador to Argentina and the United States.
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Bolsonaro Breaks Silence on Election Loss
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro broke his uncharacteristic silence about his electoral defeat on Friday, saying it “hurts my soul.”
Bolsonaro had not spoken publicly since his narrow loss to leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in bitterly-fought runoff elections on October 30, and he has only made one public appearance.
“I’ve been silent for practically 40 days. It hurts, it hurts my soul. I have always been a happy person among you, even risking my life among the people,” he said.
Following his defeat, thousands of his supporters blocked roads and demonstrated in front of military barracks to ask the army to prevent Lula from taking power.
Brazil’s top electoral authority last month threw out a challenge by Bolsonaro’s party against his election defeat and fined it more than $4 million for bringing the case “in bad faith.”
Bolsonaro will remain in office until January 1.
Lula unveiled on Friday ministers in the key posts of foreign affairs, justice, defense, and chief of staff.
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