MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Temer calls for “national reunification” at a friendly agro-business forum

“For employment to recover, it's necessary for industry and agro-industry to grow, so that trade also grows,” said Temer at the Global Agribusiness Forum 2016

Brazil's interim president, Michel Temer emphasized the role of agro-industry in the country's development and called for “national reunification” to guarantee jobs in the sector.

 “For employment to recover, it's necessary for industry and agro-industry to grow, so that trade also grows,” said Temer at the opening of the international Global Agribusiness Forum 2016, being attended by officials, businessmen and specialists in the sector.

“The country needs ... a national pacification, a national reunification, with interaction between the business sector and the workers, which is the first social program that should be moved forward,” he said.

In his speech, Temer emphasized the role of agriculture, the only sector that in 2015 gave positive economic results despite the 3.8% contraction in Brazil's GDP.

The interim acting head of state said, on the other hand, that after August he will travel to several countries to push for foreign investment in Brazil.

“I confess that I took over in Brazil at a difficult time. Everyone knows how many difficulties we're facing, but God helped us and we're putting together an economic team that I think has not been seen in Brazil for quite a while. Also, we now have an agriculture minister who's acclaimed by all,” he said.

At the forum's inauguration, Temer received a notice of support signed by representatives of 46 Brazilian agro-industrial entities.

Outside the hotel where the forum was held, about a dozen people with painted faces and carrying signs protested against Temer and called for the return to power of Dilma Rousseff, who was temporarily dismissed on May 12 to face a Senate trial that could result in her permanent ouster.

The Senate is supposed to decide by mid-August whether to remove Rousseff over alleged accounting irregularities aimed at minimizing the budget deficit. Should senators vote to oust the elected head of state, erstwhile Vice President Temer will serve the balance of her term, which ends January first, 2019.

Since becoming interim president, Temer - himself under investigation for corruption - has pushed privatizations and sales of state assets, ideas that are strongly opposed by the majority of those who voted to give Rousseff a second four-year term in October 2014.