Acting president says he will lead Brazil out of the crisis

As he swore Paulo Rabello de Castro into office as the new head of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) on Wednesday (Jun; 22), acting President Michel Temer said his administration is “cutting in [its own] flesh” (doing its share of self-sacrifice), has been successful in approving important measures, and will be able to lead the country out of the crisis.

Temer again said his temporary status as interim president is no barrier for governance, and despite the short time he has been acting as president, he succeeded in securing a robust coalition in Congress that has helped him solve long-pending issues.

He also said the country must continue to look for solutions to the problems, despite any political deadlocks. “People keep attaching roles to the people fulfilling them, when in fact the role must prevail over the individual. And particularly when it comes to the president, whether permanent or temporary, what they should really do is think [what is best for] the country.”

Temer pointed out that, once he took office as interim president, he slashed 4,200 appointment-based roles from the government and 10,200 managerial roles, and suggested the legislature set a ceiling for public spending. “Before any burden on the population, you have to cut in [your own] flesh first. And we are doing this by proposing this cap on government spending so we keep it in check.”

Translated by Mayra Borges

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