Bolsonaro dismisses the third minister in only six months of government

President Jair Bolsonaro dismissed yesterday (5.Jun.2019) General Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz, who was in charge of the Secretary of Government of the Presidency of the Republic of Brazil. He will be substituted by another military man, Army General Luiz Eduardo Ramos Baptista Pereira.

In recent weeks, Santos Cruz has come under attack from the former astrologer and guru of the Bolsonaro clan Olavo de Carvalho and Carlos, the president's son. Olavo even directed offensive and obscene language to Santos Cruz in social media.

The departure of Santos Cruz is being seen as a blow to government approval with part of the private sector. Many businessmen question whether the decision could be the beginning of a conflict with the most pragmatic wing of the government.

Santos Cruz is a highly respected military man. He commanded troops on a mission to Haiti from January 2007 to April 2009 and also led thousands of soldiers between 2013 and 2015 at another UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Unemployment, in April, affects 13.2 million Brazilians

According to the IBGE, the number of underutilized reached a record of 28.4 million. Total of those who gave up looking for a job also set a record and reached 4.9 million.

Unemployment in Brazil was 12.5%, on average, in the quarter ended April 2019, according to data published by IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics). The index rose compared to the previous quarter, from November 2018 to January 2019 (12%). However, in comparison with the same quarter of last year (12.9%), the result was low.

According to figures released by the IBGE, after 16 consecutive quarters of a fall, employment in the private sector with a backlog increased by 1.5% in the quarter ended in April 2019, compared to the same period in 2018.

With the Brazilian economy practically at a standstill, the labor market is throwing thousands of Brazilians into informality. The employed population even increased again in April, but a slice of the workers who work in the private sector with a work permit is practically stable.

According to Ibope, 35% of Brazilian voters approve Jair Bolsonaro's government

A survey by Ibope indicated that the approval of Jair Bolsonaro's government is about one-third of the electorate. According to the institute, the current government approval is at 35%. 

The last such survey by Ibope in December 2018 indicated that 64% of Brazilians voters thought that Bolsonaro's government would be good or great. Now, 45% of Brazilians voters believe that Bolsonaro's government is good or great.

The survey of Ibope was made between April 12 and 15 and heard 2,000 people in 126 municipalities. This is the first survey commissioned by CNI since Bolsonaro took office.