Lula appoints Oswaldo Malatesta Neto as new chief of staff

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has appointed Oswaldo Malatesta Neto as the new chief of staff for the Presidency. Malatesta, a social scientist with 15 years of public service experience, replaces Marco Aurélio Santana Ribeiro, known as Marcola.

Marcola stepped down following revelations regarding a R$ 249,000 loan received from businesswoman and lobbyist Roberta Luchsinger. Luchsinger is a close associate of Fábio Luís Lula da Silva, also known as Lulinha, who is currently under investigation by the Federal Police and the Supreme Federal Court (STF) for suspected influence peddling.

Investigations involve potential links between these individuals and interests related to the Ministry of Health and the INSS. Federal Police informants have suggested that former officials acted as intermediaries for business interests. While Marcola maintains the payment was a private personal loan, political figures have called for the lifting of banking and fiscal secrecy to clarify the transactions.