Brazil Protests Over Bus Fare Hike

Even as the levels of poverty and unemployment have substantially decreased in Brazil, people have taken to the streets to demonstrate against the recent increase in bus fare. The protests, even though instigated by the rise in public transportation fares, have deeper reasons of dissatisfaction with the ruling government. Demands for cheaper public transportation and better social services in the country have been met with tear gas and water cannons by the police, particularly in the cities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Newsclick talks to Eloi Pieta, Founder Member of the Workers' Party in Brazil, about Brazilian people's discontent with their government, and the role of the youth.

Transcript:

Prabir Purkayastha (PP): Hello and welcome to Newsclick, today we have with us  Eloi Pieta of Worker's Party in Brazil or what is commonly known as PT. He has been General Secretary of the party, founding member of PT, he's with us in Newsclick. Happy to have you with us Eloi.

Eloi Pieta (EP): Thank you very much for your invitation.

PP: Today Brazil is in turmoil, there have been huge protests. Last one was said to be a million, over twenty two state capitals, Rio and Sao-Paulo have seen huge struggles, protesters have been tear gassed and water cannoned and so on. This is somewhat on the patterns of what we have seen around the world in different places, whether its West, whether its Egypt, whether its Europe or whether its Turkey. Brazil was always thought to be an unlikely candidate but it does seem that even Brazil has been affected. How do you see these protests that've broken out considering that PT has had solid support amongst the people and also the fact that Dilma Rouseff got elected recently with a good, strong majority. So how do you see these protests, of this magnitude breaking out ?

EP: I think all around the world we have movements of the youth now and I think that  youth and traditional politics are far

PP: There is a gap between the traditional political parties, politics and the today's youth 

EP: Yes, yes. I think in Spain and all the countries in Europe, I think its the same question in many countries of the world. But Brazil is a democratic country, we have liberty, people are free to go to streets and these 10 years in which Worker's Party has been ruling Brazil, the poor people grew their incomes, unemployment is one of the lowest in the world, the tax of unemployed in Brazil is between 5 or 6 %.

PP: So there have been major developments in terms of poverty removal like you said earlier there were about 60 million poor and now its only about 16 million, and unemployment is very low so there has been.. 

EP: The wages have increased all over. but the people want more 

PP: But some of the demands.. 

EP: They always want more; youth people want more - more universities and more and cheaper public transport, more good health, public system; youth is against corruption.

PP: Two things that come out from the slogans of the movement that has come out. One of it has been for, it started actually with public transport prices going up, that has been one of the reasons that brought people in the streets. The second has been what has seen to be a very wasteful expenditure for Olympics, for the World Cup in which the stadiums are being built and people will not be able to, the mass of people will not be able to go there because the prices of the tickets are so high. 

EP: I think we have another question, the big media in Brazil.

PP: Which is right wing

EP: We have six networks of T.V.  in all over the country. The owners are six wealthy families of the elite and the media, the main newspapers, the main radio and the TVs are against the government of the Worker's Party, all the time against, and they make a continuous campaign against the government of PT; against the stadiums for the World Cup , against the economic politics of Worker's Party and I think this media has a lot of influence in the minds of the youth. 

PP: So essentially, while the reason for the youth to be alienated from politics or part of it is that their immediate concerns were not the concerns of the PT who was more focused on poverty removal, but nevertheless their demands that were articulated in various places, seem to be democratic demands, for better health care and better transport etc.

EP: Yes, yes these are good demands. Our first woman president of Brazil, Dilma Rouseff on TV said that, “I’m greeting this movement, this movement  is good for our country. I will meet the leaders of this movement and the policy doesn't fight against the movement.” So, because the youth are against all the political parties, they are excluded or self excluded of the political parties. 

PP: Well in that sense, it is a good thing because now they are coming into politics, so the fact that they are coming into politics is good

EP: Yes, its a good thing, very good, now they are in the politics, they can create other parties

PP: Or after checking various things and so on, after raising demands, they will at least understand how the country's politics works and this is really the first step

EP:  Yes, yes. The youth isn't the leaders, aren't leaders of the  opposition against the political parties opposed to P. The political parties opposed to PT don't have influence in this movement.

PP: So this movement has sprung up more or less spontaneously raising demands that are relatively democratic  and has brought out sections that were earlier not in politics, which is   alienated youth of the country, so in that sense it marks a new beginning for youth politics in Brazil.

EP: But I think the danger in this case is the question of political parties, because to have democracy we need to have political parties.

PP: So when it becomes anti-political, then there is a threat 

EP: Because the anti political  parties can become dictatorship solution

PP: This is what Brazil had in the 60s, 70s, 80s, after the long fight, you really got democracy.

EP: Yes, we had 20 years of military dictatorships, but now the military are completely distant of this movement and the youth defended the democracy.

PP: Now, there is another issue that has come up, that atleast in Sao Paulo and Rio, there has been an attempt by certain right wing forces to try and infiltrate this movement, so that could also be the danger there.

EP: This is the danger, the danger is the violence of right forces or extreme left forces inside the movement and the movement can lose the sympathy of the people.

PP: After Dilma's appeal to the youth, the temperatures seem to  have come down, but one of the elements that have been held as the reason for such large scale protests is also the actions of the police, which have been particularly brutal against the people of Brazil.

EP: Yes, yes as in all the world and the police in Brazil, like in India is ruled by the state and not the central government. So the action of the police was the action of the state and not the government . Our government is in Sao Paulo and PT ruled the city of Sao-Paulo, a city of 11 million inhabitants. We don't have police in the municipality, the police is of the state, and the national level of government ruled by PT also don't have police to the situation. 

PP: But, there are states which are ruled by PT and whether it is PT or it is other parties, the police seems to have behaved criminally.

EP: I make example. The state of Rio Grande do Sol is ruled by PT. We don't have problem  between the police and the movement, because our governor said our police only will defend the persons against violence of a group of manifestators of protesters if they use violence against people or against public buildings. But we don't have problems in our state of Rio Grande do Sol.

PP: Which is where Porto Alegre had the World Social Forum.

EP: The governor of  Rio Grande do Sol was mayor in Porto Alegre in this World Social Forum, Tarso Genro is his name and he is a great leader of  the Workers Party.

PP: So what you are saying is, this is a part of the reason for the struggle are genuine causes which have been there,  the kind of issues regarding the public health and transport which are genuine demands of the people and the threat is, if it becomes anti-political or anti-political parties then it will not strengthen democracy and there could be right wing forces to take advantage of this scenario

EP: But I think this is a positive movement because I prefer the young in the streets fighting for their rights than the youth only in musical shows and thinking only in their individual lives

PP: Good. I think on that note we will conclude the session. Thank you very much for being with us and hope this will bring the youth to politics in Brazil and not turn it against politics.

EP: Okay. Thank you very much.