The head of the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex), Jorge Viana, changed the agency’s bylaws in order to remain in office. Rules required the Apex head to be fluent in English, but that demand has been altered to being merely “preferred.”
Mr. Viana is a member of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s Workers’ Party and was appointed to the post by him in January. Last year, he ran for the Acre state governorship in northern Brazil, and lost. Before that, he served as governor for two terms, between 1999 and 2007, and senator between 2011 and 2019.
The politician’s press office told the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo that he does speak English, but “not well enough to make a speech.” Apex is a central body for promoting Brazilian business abroad, which requires travel, meetings with authorities and participation in events held in English.
The change was made on March 22 by Apex’s advisory council in response to the request from the agency’s board, which consists of Mr. Viana and two other members. The fluent English requirement was kept for Ana Paula Repezza, a career Apex employee, and lifted for Floriano Pesaro, a former federal lawmaker close to Lula’s vice president, Geraldo Alckmin.
Former Apex board member Alecxandro Pinho Carreiro, appointed by former President Jair Bolsonaro, already lost his job because he does not speak fluent English. He was fired just eight days after taking office.
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