English 
Spanish 
4 min read
29 comments
At an event with prominent businessmen, Rubens Ometto declares that “we are screwed” and harshly criticizes the current government’s economic policy. Between high interest rates and a lack of fiscal adjustments, the businessman sees a challenging future for Brazil, while Raízen leads the global agricultural sector.
At the heart of the national economic debate, a leading figure in Brazilian agribusiness expressed significant dissatisfaction with the country's direction.
The speech, marked by impactful statements and an analysis that transcends the agricultural sector, sparked discussions among the main representatives of the market and national monetary policy.
Last Thursday (28), at an event held by Grupo Esfera Brasil, the president of Grupo Cosan, Rubens Ometto, made strong criticisms of the economic policy of the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT).
- How to save energy — Reduce your electricity bill by up to R$216
- Highway has glow-in-the-dark paint instead of light bulbs, but there's a problem: it costs 20 times more
- Trump threatens to disrupt global trade: 10% tariffs on China and the European Union in the crosshairs!
- After nearly going bankrupt with oil, Eike Batista reveals that the focus is now on Brazilian agribusiness with investments in super sugarcane
During his speech, Ometto did not mince words when describing the country's economic situation, declaring that “we are screwed”.
According to the businessman, Brazil faces a challenging situation, with political decisions that, in his view, prioritize a partisan approach to the detriment of essential fiscal adjustments.
“The situation is very difficult. Resolving the fiscal deficit is not complicated, but there is resistance to implementing the measures necessary to do so”, he said.
A well-founded criticism
According to Rubens Ometto, high interest rates make it difficult to invest in infrastructure, harming public-private partnerships and discouraging entrepreneurs from risking capital in an uncertain scenario.
“With these interest rates, investors go broke. The country’s top management seems to think everything is fine, but they don’t want to resolve anything,” he said.
The meeting, held at the residence of João Camargo, founder of Grupo Esfera, was attended by personalities such as Gabriel Galípolo, the next president of the Central Bank, and renowned businessmen, including André Esteves, from BTG, Joesley Batista, from J&F, and Carlos Jereissati, from Grupo Iguatemi.
Monetary Policy Dialogue
During the event, the conversation gained prominence when Ometto questioned Galípolo, using an automobile analogy to illustrate his concern.
“If you see the car going in an unwanted direction and you want to change direction, what is the reaction of politicians?”, the businessman asked.
Galípolo responded by highlighting the autonomy of the Central Bank in conducting monetary policy, reinforcing that the institution has all the necessary tools to act in accordance with its prerogatives.
Ometto, however, insisted that the problem lies in the inability to change political direction, limiting itself to “accelerating or slowing down” economic measures.
Review history
This is not the first time that Rubens Ometto has publicly criticized the federal administration.
In June 2024, during another event promoted by Grupo Esfera, this time in Guarujá, on the coast of São Paulo, he accused the government of disrespecting the law by seeking tax increases.
“The way it is, with the government wanting to tax everything, it’s not possible,” he said at the time.
The relevance of Rubens Ometto in agriculture
Rubens Ometto is not only a vocal critic of the economy; he also heads one of the largest agribusiness conglomerates in Brazil.
At the head of the Cosan Group, he runs Raízen, one of the group's main subsidiaries and considered the largest sugar cane producer in the country.
The company constantly invests in innovations to increase productivity and reduce carbon emissions, reinforcing Brazil's role as a global reference in the sector.
As highlighted by the Mundo do Agro channel, “Raízen is an example of efficiency and innovation, proving that it is possible to combine large production volumes with sustainable practices.”
An uncertain future for Brazil?
Ometto's statements reflect a scenario of concern among the country's major businesspeople.
His analysis, based on decades of experience running an agricultural empire, raises crucial questions: What will be the impact of current economic policies on Brazil's development and on attracting long-term investment?
BUT YOU CAN STEAL MORE THAN YOU COLLECT... IF THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT IS, THEN EXPLAIN WHERE ALL THE TAXES WE PAY GO.
They have already spent a lot, reduce the number of ministries and stop spending…
Crocodile tears when he had the chance he increased the ministers' salaries to 44 thousand reais and the CLT to 1418 lol