Ricardo Cappelli: 'Enough conciliation with those who conspire against the government'

The recent offensive by the National Congress and financial market players against economic measures by President Lula (PT) indicates the need to abandon conciliation with those who insist on conspiring against the government. This is the assessment of Ricardo Cappelli , former security interventor of the Federal District and current president of the Brazilian Association for Industrial Development.

Since the presidents of the Chamber, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), and of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP), articulated the overturn of Lula's decrees with adjustments in the IOF, government and PT members have raised their tone against the National Congress.

This movement coincides with the Planalto Palace's plan to stick an image of social and tax justice on Lula. The assessment is that defending the taxation of the BBBs — banks, bets and billionaires — can energize a government lacking the capacity to mobilize.

“There is a sector in Brazil that defends fiscal adjustment, but wants to make the adjustments at the expense of the poorest,” declared Cappelli, one of the most vehement defenders of the economic policy of Lula and Fernando Haddad (PT).

According to him, this part of society knows that Lula will be reelected easily if he manages to approve measures such as income tax exemption for those who earn up to 5 thousand reais, with an increase in taxation for those who earn more than 1 million per year.

For Cappelli, the time has come to reject conciliation with this sector — including with its representatives in the National Congress — and reject the bet on “agreements from above”.

“Enough wasting time with those who sometimes seem to be with the government, but conspire against the government all the time” , he added. “We have to spend time talking to the people. It is the people who decide the direction of the country and will decide next year’s elections. We have to debate with the people what it means to achieve tax, social and economic justice.”

The Chamber suspended Lula's decrees with a huge score: 383 votes to 98. In other words: the Planalto base was unable to gather even 100 votes to save the measure, considered important by the economic team.

Centrist and center-left parties that hold ministries voted overwhelmingly to overturn the decree:

• União Brasil , with 2 ministries: 58 votes against the decree, none in favor;
• MDB , with 3 ministries: 41 votes against the decree, 2 in favor;
• PDT , with 1 ministry: 16 votes against the decree, none in favor;
• PP , with 1 ministry: 48 votes against the decree, none in favor;
• PSD , with 3 ministries: 27 votes against the decree, 1 in favor;
• PSB , with 2 ministries: 9 votes against the decree, 3 in favor;
• Republicans , with 1 ministry: 42 votes against the decree, none in favor.

Outside the decision-making center of the Planalto, Cappelli is betting on expanding his political projection. The PSB candidate for governor of the Federal District, he is launching this month the book O 8 de Janeiro que o Brasil não viu (The 8th of January that Brazil didn't see) (Editora Intrínseca), with behind-the-scenes footage of the 23 days he was the interventor designated by Lula in the public security of the DF. In Brasília, the book signing will take place next Tuesday the 8th, at 7 pm, at Livraria Travessa do Casa Park.

The interview with CartaCapital , in which Cappelli spoke about the coup acts and the 2026 electoral scenario, will air this Friday 4th, on YouTube. Click here to access the channel and subscribe .