World Bank Faces Protests To Not Give Abraham Weintraub, Bolsonaro’s Ally, A Job At Its Headquarters

Abraham Weintraub, one of Jair Bolsonaro’s notorious allies, has been put forward for a job as a senior executive by Brazilan authorities at the headquarters of the World Bank in Washington. But the World Bank is currently facing pressure to not consider him for the £210,000-a-year job given the fact that he is known for his racist attitude and derogatory comments.

Abraham Weintraub was the education minister in Brazil before he was dismissed for calling supreme court judges “punks” who needed to be jailed.

Weintraub is known as “the worst minister in Brazilian history” and is undergoing multiple investigations, which includes alleged racism, spreading online fake news, and provocative social media videos. He was also condemned for his “ideologically charged attacks on education.”

Recently, he flew to the U.S., via a diplomatic passport possibly, to avoid the Covid-19 ban on those traveling from Brazil.

Soon after, the World Bank confirmed that the ex-minister is being considered for the post of a senior executive at its headquarters in Washington.

But chances are that Weintraub won’t get the job as the bank is currently facing massive pressure from its own employees and Brazilian opinion-makers.

The World Bank employees have sent a petition to its ethics committee, stating that they are “profoundly disturbed” by the prospect of Weintraub getting a job as he has always been known for displaying a “totally unacceptable” behavior, which includes various racist remarks.

Brazilian opinion-makers, in their letter to the bank and the governments of the eight countries, cited that Weintraub lacked the “basic ethical, professional and moral qualifications” for the job.

“It’s not that he isn’t the best person for the job – he’s not even a mediocre person for the job. He’s just not up to the job at all,” said Thiago Amparo, a law professor and one of the signatories.

“He is completely the opposite of what the World Bank stands for in terms of multilateralism and diplomatic respect,” added Amparo. “During his time at the education ministry, he didn’t manage to accomplish anything … This is not what the World Bank needs.”