Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva yielded to pressure from a prominent political party and agreed to replace a cabinet minister as he continues his efforts to solidify his base in congress.
Lula’s minister of institutional affairs, Alexandre Padilha, announced in a statement Thursday that he would replace Tourism Minister Daniela Carneiro with congressman Celso Sabino, a member of the center-right Uniao Brasil party that holds 59 seats in the 513-member lower house.
Uniao Brasil’s leaders have for months demanded the switch, after Carneiro and her husband, Waguinho, an influential local politician in the Rio de Janeiro state, decided to leave the party.
The president’s allies have denied that a broad ministerial reform is underway. Instead, Lula is seeking to shore up support from Uniao Brasil, which holds more seats than any party outside the opposition coalition, to ensure the approval of key agenda items including an upcoming tax reform.
For now, Lula’s crucial economic proposals have found broad support among lawmakers, including from some members of the opposition. His plan to bolster public accounts passed both houses of congress and now only requires a final approval from the lower house before it can be signed into law.
Yet Lula and his team have been forced to engage in last-minute negotiations and make substantial concessions in order to secure the fiscal bill’s passage. In June, the government was also forced to accept a deal that stripped some powers from his environment and Indigenous affairs ministries in exchange for the approval of his cabinet structure.
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