Lula says he was not informed about the creation of 'Petrobras Arabia' and criticizes Prates

1970-01-01 02:00:00

The statement by the president of Petrobras, Jean Paul Prates, about the possibility of creating a subsidiary in the Middle East, surprised President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, generating discomfort in the government. In a press conference this Sunday, Lula stated that he had not been informed about Prates' intention and highlighted that the president of the state-owned company has a “very fertile” mind.

On Saturday, in an interview with “Bloomberg”, the president of Petrobras announced the beginning of a study to enable the opening of a subsidiary in the region, called “Petrobras Arabia”.

“First, you should ask this question to Jean Paul Prates, because I was not informed that people are going to create a Petrobras here. As his head is very fertile, and he thinks at a Formula 1 speed and I work at a Formula 1 speed Volkswagen, I need to learn what it's going to do”, said Lula.

Lula addressed the topic in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, during the UN Climate Summit. During the global meeting, he defended the reduction of countries' dependence on fossil fuels, arguing the need to develop renewable alternatives to make up the international energy matrix.

“If Petrobras has any investment to make here, I don't know in what. Petrobras will not stop prospecting for oil. It's important to remember this. Because fossil fuel will still work for a long time in the world economy. As long as it works, we we will be able to obtain oil, we will improve the quality of gasoline”, stated the president.

Prates' statement generated discomfort in the government. Lula's aides stated that the Petrobras chief's stance was seen as disrespectful for not consulting the president about the project.

Before this episode, the company's investment plan had already caused internal wear and tear by not including areas considered strategic by the Brazilian government, such as the issue of biofuels. After alignment meetings, the project was corrected. According to sources, “Petrobras Arabia” is not included in the state-owned company's strategic plan and deviates from Brazil's logic of producing and generating jobs in the country.