Former President of Petrobras criticizes party conduct and energy management in the government; Evaluates a vacancy to the Senate in 2026 for another acronym
The former senator and former president of confirmed that he is leaving the Workers Party, which he militated for over a decade. In an interview with Capital letter Published on Sunday (28.Set.2025), he said he maintains advanced MDB and PDT conversations for a possible Senate candidacy in 2026.
According to Prates, the decision is not related to yours in May 2024, but with the lack of space in the PT in Rio Grande do Norte.
“Applications were released from top to bottom, without internal discussion […] I was a senator, I chaired Petrobras, and yet there was no consultation. My point is not to seek space for me, but to argue that the process of choosing candidates is participative, including the foundations. I thought that in the PT this would be the rule. As it was not, I am leaving anywhere that is like this ”he declared.
The former senator said he intends to leave the party in 3 stages: first, saying goodbye “quietly”, then choosing a new subtitle and, lastly, discussing any candidacy.
“I cannot say that I am going to a caption to be a candidate for something […] I have my professional life defined, I don’t need the mandate. So I can perfectly live without politics. I am not a policy professional. I’m going to politics because I like it ”he said.
Criticism of the Ministry of Mines and Energy
Prates attributes his departure from the presidency of Petrobras to the disagreement with the minister of, (PSD), and the minister of, (PT).
For him, the management of energy policy in Brazil is disorganized.
“Today, there is a gigantic crisis happening, which many people avoid admitting. If you ask any minimally serious person in the energy sector if you are satisfied with the management of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the answer is no. It is a total chaos”these.
He said that Silveira’s management is “a kind of megawatts, where companies and energy sector groups ensure advantages according to the weight of their lobbies and proximity to the minister, while the others are on the sidelines.
According to Prates, this logic weakens the planning and integration necessary for energy policy.
“The energy sector requires integration, planning and intelligence, not internal disputes. Energy policy in a country like Brazil, with so many sources available, should not be war for spaces, but coordinated and strategic management”He said.
PETROBRAS
Prates stated that the state -owned company follows in part the strategy it implemented while in charge of the state, but points out setbacks in some decisions.
He considered wrong a. “The ethanol sector does not need Petrobras in production, but in sales channels and market feasibility”He said.
In his assessment, the focus should be on the co -processing of diesel with vegetable oil, technology already patented by the company.
Prates also criticized the decision to postpone investments in for after 2030.
“Announcing that it would be out of this segment until 2035 was not necessary, the company could continue to advance in this regard without compromising its investments in pre-salt, oil or gas.”these.
