City That Is Home to JBS USA Views Wesley Batista as Ethical, Fair and Demanding

01/15/2018 - 10h42

When inquired about the impact that the arrests of the Batista brothers have had on the community, Justin Teitalbeum, a driver for a local taxi service company, answered with a question: "But is Wesley still in prison?".

The same question was asked by the company's cattle ranchers who were also approached for comment, as well as residents of the small town of Greeley, Colorado, which is where the American headquarters of the JBS group is located.

Some even doubt that Wesley - who lived in the area from 2007 to 2011 - is guilty of the charges. He is being held in custody on suspicion of insider trading after purchasing dollars on the market and profiting from the higher currency rates that arose after the JBS testimonies were made public.

Americans have little knowledge about the scandal. They know that the Batista brothers made a plea bargain agreement with prosecutors, confessing to the payment of bribes to politicians, and that there are some recordings with high authorities - but, in general, they have not listened to the recordings nor do they know about their content.

Perhaps part of the reason they are oblivious to the scandal is the fact that few know Joesley Batista, the brother who was responsible for straightening ties with Brasília and who also recorded President Michel Temer. Even the company's employees only remember seeing the younger of the two brothers on one or two occasions.

"This whole situation is bizarre to me, because it has nothing to do with the CEO that I know: ethical, demanding and fair," says Chris Gaddis, head of human resources at JBS in the United States.

The Batista brothers have been making an effort to insulate their operations in the United States, Canada and Australia from the scandal that is taking place in Brazil. Currently, the units outside Brazil - many of which were acquired with the help of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) - are responsible for 87% of JBS's revenues.

Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON

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	Divulgação
	The American headquarters of the JBS group is located in the small town of Greeley, Colorado