Behind the scenes: PT leader defended creating Terrabras in meeting with the US Embassy

The leader of the PT in the Chamber of Deputies, Pedro Uczai (SC), held a meeting with two representatives of the United States Embassy on the afternoon of this Tuesday, 28th, to discuss the national policy on rare earths, according to the report. Political BroadcastGrupo Estado’s real-time news system. As sources told the report, the PT member responded to a request from the Embassy by receiving American representatives in his office.

On the occasion, according to reports, Uczai presented the general lines of his bill that establishes Terrabras, a public company to manage the use of critical and strategic minerals in Brazil. The American Embassy’s economic advisor, Matthew Lowe, and senior economic advisor Francisco Sadeck were present.

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During the meeting, according to sources, the PT leader said he understood that Brazil should not only export critical minerals to major economic powers, but rather take advantage of its reserves to develop an aggregate production chain and include rare earths as a priority within a policy of national sovereignty.

Uczai also informed representatives of the United States embassy that he must speak with federal deputy Arnaldo Jardim (Cidadania-SP), rapporteur of the project that establishes the National Policy on Critical and Strategic Minerals, to discuss the text. According to the PT member, the proposal as it stands does not take into account the complexity of the issue.

According to the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), the project reported by Jardim will be submitted to the plenary next week. The rapporteur’s opinion should be released on May 4th. The PT leader presented a request to add his proposal to create Terrabras to the project.

The PT’s proposal envisages that the Mineral Resources Research Company (CPRM) will be renamed the Brazilian Rare Earth Mining Company (Terrabras), with the aim of managing national strategic reserves of critical or strategic minerals, in accordance with guidelines established by the Union.

Defenders of the PT project say that the proposal reported by Jardim puts national sovereignty at risk by not limiting the exploitation of Brazilian lands by foreign companies, nor providing for compensation. Furthermore, they state that there is a need for a Brazilian public company to manage a strategic and environmental policy for the sector.