Opposition bets on Lula’s veto to INSS project and aims to exploit wear and tear

The opposition believes in President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s (PT) veto to the bill, approved this Wednesday (12), which prohibits deduction of associative dues from benefits paid by the INSS (National Social Security Institute). If this happens, the intention is to exploit any wear and tear on Lula’s image, arguing that retirees and pensioners are not protected by the PT government. The bill was included off the agenda at the request of right-wing parties in the Senate session on Wednesday, and opposition leader Rogério Marinho (PL-RN) was appointed as the rapporteur. Opposition members believe that the new rule may impact the finances of entities historically linked to the left and the PT, such as federations operating under the umbrella of Contag (National Confederation of Agricultural Workers). With the approval of the project and the arrest of former INSS president Alessandro Stefanutto in a new phase of Operation Sem Desconto (which investigates fraud in payments to retirees and pensioners), opposition members are trying to create a new setback for the government. They acknowledge that the INSS Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) created in the first semester did not take off and was forgotten by the public opinion. It would be, in the view of the opposition, a final attempt to pressure the PT administration on this issue.