The Democracies that Cost us so Much to Achieve are Again at Risk.

By Adolfo Pérez Esquivel on May 27, 2016

Nobel Peace Laureate 1980

The situation in Brazil affects all the peoples of Latin America.

In my recent visit to this sister nation I met with President Dilma Rousseff to offer my support and that of many organizations since the opposition in the Parliament intends to remove her from office – that she achieved by a majority vote – through an alleged impeachment that is not based on a crime – as the Constitution indicates – but a nonexistent crime. The accusation points to accounting procedures that were used by previous governments, even by the accusers. It is a situation similar to the soft coups we already saw in Honduras with Zelaya and Paraguay with Lugo that are illegal procedures to go against popular will and an increased repression and hunger policies against the people.

Behind this process to remove the president is a specific economic project for more dependence, privatization and foreign influence. The probable future deposited in the presidency, Michel Temer already expressed his intention of imposing in Brazil contrary economic policies. The coups have come to Latin America, against those chosen by votes such as privatizing everything possible of the infrastructure and reduce social policies on which depend the most vulnerable.

The Federal Senate invited me kindly to give a message in the session of April 28 and there transmit my greetings and concerns of many Brazilians and Latin Americans over a possible coup d’etat in Brazil. Unfortunately the answers of the senators of the opposition were not to respond to doubts on the process they are promoting but ask for censure to the words “possible coup” in my brief version.

Afterwards we met with Don Leonardo Steiner, Secretary General of the CNBB who expressed his concern over the situation of the country with increased hatred, intolerance and skeptical of policies and institutions. Also about the attitudes of the opposition leaders in the session that approved the impeachment and allowed one of its members to make an apology of the dictatorship and torture without any punishments. He said he feared that the growing dialogue in the streets transcend the limits of respect.

For his part the President of the Supreme Court, Dr. Ricardo Lewandowski, very respectful of institutionalism, expressed his concern over the political crisis that he never imagined would have returned in the transition to Democracy.

Finally I ended my visit sharing workers day with social movements that fight to defend the rights of our peoples to Land, Roof, Work and Democracy. The concerns are quite a few considering that the deputies of the Da Agropecuária Parliamentary Front are already requesting Temer to use the armed forces to repress social protests and to evict rural and indigenous settlements.

Brazilian social organizations resist with hope because their battle is just and count on international solidarity. We do not want more coups in Latin America.

http://cuba-networkdefenseofhumanity.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-democracies-that-cost-us-so-much-to.html

Source: Cuba-Network in Defense of Humanity