Truckers' Strike Continues despite Agreement; Government Believes in 'Political Infiltration'

[Judi Lynn]

05/29/2018 - 12H19

FERNANDA CANOFRE
GUILHERME SETO
GUSTAVO FIORATTI
JOANA CUNHA
LUCAS VETTORAZZO
SAMUEL NUNES
LAÍS ALEGRETTI

Despite three concessions made by the government, truck drivers continued to demonstrate on Tuesday (the 29th) for the ninth consecutive day, affecting gas stations and services across the entire country.

According to an official report, 556 partial or complete blockades were implemented on federal highways in 23 states and in the Federal District. The movement has also received support from drivers belonging to other sectors who have also been affected by gas prices, such as van, charter bus and motorcycle drivers.

When confronted with the continuation of the demonstrations, Eliseu Padilha, the chief of staff to President Michel Temer, said that the Federal Highway Police will take action in order to remove "political infiltrators" from the highway. According to him, such demonstrators do not want the gasoline shortage - nor the crisis that has ensued - to come to an end.

The president of the Brazilian Association of Truck Drivers (Abcam), José da Fonseca Lopes, who was one of the leaders behind the demonstration, agreed with Mr. Padilha's assessment. "Truck drivers are no longer on strike. These are people who want to overthrow the government."

More:
http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/business/2018/05/1970281-truckers-strike-continues-despite-agreement-government-believes-in-political-infiltration.shtml