Two months of neoliberal coup: against the people and the democracy

By João Pedro Stédile

Brazil is experiencing a severe economic, political, social, and environmental crisis. We lived similar historical crises during the decade of 30, 60 and 80. All of them demanded great debates in society, huge political participation and disputes in the class struggle. Its outcome was always delayed and was only possible around a new project that could unite social base to support it. Or the ruling classes appealed to the military.

And then, what's happening? The ruling class has no project for the country. Temer/Cunha Government is just an attempt to quickly implement measures in the interest of capitalists. The ruling class is divided into three core of direction policy. A core of economic power, which is hegemonies by financial capital and transnational companies. It aims to apply the neoliberal recipe. But it is an anti-national and anti-popular project. A lumpen-burgeoisie core, formed by conservative politicians and led by Cunha-Temer-Juca parties, which work only by narrow interests. And a third core, which acts for ideological reasons, also with international links, is the core of Rede Globo, Moro, MPF-PF. Among them there are disagreements and contradictions, because the work their own interests and not by a national project.

Considering an absence of a government project, and given the growing crisis, they decided to overthrow President Dilma, stormed the government, with the connivance of the judiciary, in order to try to apply a neoliberal emergency program.

2. Every day the interim government takes action against the workers and their rights. Its main goal is to restore the rates of profit and the process of accumulation of wealth in Brazil, for banks and transnational corporations. For this, they are attacking workers' rights and social rights in general. In addition, they are increasing the unemployment rates, which is a way of lowering wages and dominate the working class.

They are robbing the public coffers, limiting social spending and thus, allocate the resources that before used to be for education, health, social security, and now for only the interests of capitalists. According to economists, they are vying around 200 billion reais of the Union budget.

On the other hand, the 400 billion for the payment of interest to banks, are untouchable. They want to increase the minimum age of retirement to 65 years and up to 70 years as advocated by Temer's illegal government. And, so far, no one said a word about the 62 billion reais exemption of Social Security given the undertakings only in 2015.

They are restarting the privatization process, firstly with the Pré-Sal (with the revoke of the law of sharing already approved by the house) and energy sector ... they are dismantling public services and threaten even the free healthcare sysrem and the program “Mais Medicos”. They warned that our lands will be handed over to foreign capital .. They closed the MDA (Ministry of Agrarian Development) and ended with policies for family agriculture and agrarian reform.

Their supporters on the streets said they were fighting corruption. They should be ashamed. They have had three ministers revoked by accusations, and there are several others listed on judicial processes because of embezzling public money. Juca clearly said that the coup was just to stop the car wash operation... Cunha resigned Camara's presidency to save his skin and your dollars. There has never been a government involved with so many accusations of corruption like this.

3. The popular movements gathered in Frente Brasil Popular, have consistently held that the first step is to ensure respect democracy, so the President Dilma reassume command of the government. However, to undertake immediately with a CHARTER COMMITMENT with the people, with a new program in support of the needs of the people and national sovereignty.

Second step is the President Dilma reorganize a ministry in dialogue with society. And apply a program that handles the economic crisis and solve the people's problems.                      

Third, we must urgently make a political reform to rebuild and democratize the Brazilian electoral system, so that people can actually elect their true representatives. As the current Congress does want and has no moral authority to approve the policy reform projects sleeping on their drawers, the only way out would be to call via plebiscite an exclusive constituent assembly to quickly make the political reform before the 2018 elections.

And fourthly, we need to go building a new popular project for Brazil, starting from a broad discussion of proposals and ideas with all sectors of Brazilian society. Although it takes time, it is the only way to get out of the crisis.

All these will gain forces not by the correctness of the proposal, but if we can encourage the broad masses of the working class to actively participate, mobilizing on the streets. We have argued that it is necessary to organize large national mobilizations of the working class, against the coup, unemployment and the national anti-sovereignty measures that scammers are taking. And make possible a general strike by the working class as a form of protest and change the correlation of forces.

The Frente Brazil Popular and the Frente Povo sem medor, have agreed also a great mobilization in Rio de Janeiro and the capital, on 5 August, at the opening of the Olympics.

The outcome of this crisis, it is still a doubt, but the fight will be long and arduous ..