Statement by the President of the Republic, Michel Temer, after meeting with Ministers at the Presidential Palace

Presidential Palace, 07 December 2018

We met today, a good part of the team, as you were able to see, with the attendance of the president of the Chamber of Deputies. I also sent word to Senator Eunpicio, but he is away in the state of Ceará, not in Fortaleza.

Today, for about three hours, we debated the issue of Roraima, which in truth has actually been getting worse in the last two days. And we have tried the most varied means, so as to provide resources to Roraima, with a view to trying to hinder this movement we have been seeing going on there.

We did not find a legal way out. And that is why I spoke to the governor a short time ago and said that the only way to solve this issue, particularly the one related to the wages, would be to decree intervention until the next governor's inauguration. In other words, until 31 December. And the governor and I came to a type of negotiated intervention. She concurred with this formula, agreed to this formula. Indeed, she thinks that the situation in the state of Roraima is getting more complicated and that this is precisely the best solution.

Actually, through this, we want to pacify the issues in Roraima. And you see that, although this is an intervention now, in the state itself, it is in agreement with the governor. This was what we talked on the phone with her about. Not just me, but the Federal-Attorney General too.

So this is what I want to communicate, I hope that this gets to Roraima, believing in this intervention and soon, I will make some consultations, I will appoint the intervenor. I hope that with this the movement subsides, right? I ask you to be a little more, let us say, understanding, because, after all, especially the military forces, prison guards and all those who dedicate their lives to the public task, have to think of the population of Roraima.

We have decided in this way. We are calling the Republic Council and the National Defence Council tomorrow, to assess this issue. Therefore, we will take the decision made here to the Council. And soon after, of course, we shall issue not only the intervention decree, but other measures. I have already agreed with President Rodrigo Maia, other normative measures necessary to add to and  complete the federal intervention in Roraima.