Gilson Machado, Minister of Tourism and known as “Bolsonaro’s accordion player” in Brazil, has been speculated by allies of the president and had his name mentioned to more than one interlocutor of the president, according to Igor Gielow, a journalist for Folha.
One of the reasons for choosing Gilson Machado from Pernambuco was Bolsonaro's constant gaffes in dealing with the Northeast region of Brazil. It emerged as an option due to its potential identification: the figure of the accordionist, with a cowboy hat on his head, is a cliché quite widespread in the Northeast.
In addition, other items that put Machado in Bolsonaro's taste are more evident. He is seen as quite combative and mostly loyal to the boss's principles. The Minister of Tourism still lacks a party. He had been considering the Bill, which already houses the president, to run for a seat as a senator for Pernambuco.
Gilson Machado has the sympathy of evangelical leaders close to Bolsonaro, even though he defines himself as a practicing Catholic. This may be a factor to be taken into account when thinking about the approval of Bill 442/91, which regulates gaming in the country, and has strong resistance from the evangelical bench.
On several occasions, the Minister of Tourism stated that he was in favor of installing casinos in integrated resorts in Brazil and that legalization, according to him, could result in billion-dollar investments for the country and form a new tourist attraction.
“Casino is just one part of the venue. It is called an integrated resort. It has huge hotels, super well structured, convention center for up to 200 thousand people. They fill the surrounding hotels. In addition, it has a water park, restaurant, bar, store, shopping center with international brands. And there's the casino part,” said the minister.
For him, the biggest barrier to the implementation of casinos in Brazil is the opposition of the evangelical bench. “We have to convince the evangelical base. There's even a church inside the integrated resort. But we have to know our base of support for them to accept it from there. We are under construction,” said the minister in a recent interview.
The Minister of Tourism has already highlighted that Brazil is one of the few richest countries in the world that does not legalize the practice of casinos. “I think it's a very big opportunity for Brazil. Of the 20 countries in the G-20, the only non-Muslim one that does not have an integrated resort is Brazil. There are billions of dollars that will come for investment. And Brazil is the last frontier. But we always have the last word from Congress, to see how it goes.”
The Chamber of Deputies is due to vote on Bill 442/91 in the coming days and, with Gilson Machado's proximity to the evangelical bench and the possibility of him running for vice president on Bolsonaro's ticket, it may be that a closer relationship with the Minister of Tourism will sharpen some edges.
Source: GMB / Folha-UOL
