On Friday, one day before the state of São Paulo entered quarantine once again, truck drivers blocked some of the main highways in the state capital. While their vitriol was directed at Governor João Doria, the demonstration set off alarm bells within the federal government. Senior officials tell The Brazilian Report that there is some concern Friday’s action could be a dress rehearsal for a nationwide strike — as disgruntlement over fuel prices continue to grow.
Earlier this week, Petrobras announced a new hike in diesel prices — the fifth of 2021 so far — taking total fuel inflation to 43 percent since January. In response, truckers staged protests in Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and Paraná. While small in scale, they are indicative that the threat of a new strike is as alive as ever.
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