The governmental crisis builds up quickly and Brazil is now adrift. The thieves who are now in power, led by Jair Bolsonaro, can no longer govern because the lives of millions are at stake. It is necessary to express the anger of the people through mobilization (taking into account all prevention measures due to the pandemic) for that is the only way in which we will be able to break through the obstacles that prevent us from overthrowing this increasingly weakened government.
The Ministerial Meeting published in a video that the STF sent the media could be a scene taken straight out of a bizarre movie. The meeting featured shameless ministers ranting about their intentions, sparing no insults or vulgar expressions. In that context, Bolsonaro clearly stated his intention (that was later carried out) of intervening the Federal Police of Rio de Janeiro in order to prevent his family and friends from being investigated. Needless to say, it is the same Federal Police that is leading the investigation of the murders of Marielle and Anderson, in which the “Bolsonaro clan” and his friends are deeply involved. Besides, Minister of the Environment Salles, said that they should “take advantage” of this moment, in which the media is dealing with the topic of covid-19, to set forth regulations and enactments. Regulations which, coming from such a predatory minister, would obviously endanger the environment and benefit extractivist companies and agribusiness. Weintraub, Minister of Education, expressed his hatred of the term “indigenous peoples” and his willingness to put the entire STF behind bars. Last but not least, ultra-neoliberal Economy Minister Guedes stated his desire to privatize the Banco do Brasil by shouting “You have to sell that shit”. These are just a few of the most shocking statements featured at the Ministerial meeting of a country with no less than 220 million inhabitants. It sounds like a bizarre movie, if not a horror one, if we take into account that all of this happened amid a pandemic which is killing around 1000 people every 24 hours in Brazil.
Anger was Immediate as barrages of protests banging pots and pans took place across the country. Social media exploded and bourgeoise newspapers such as O Globo and Folha spared no words in denouncing and arguing against the continuity of the government.The celebrationsof the agreement that had taken place a few days prior with the centrão parties, which involved giving them positions in secretariats with their respective massive budgets, and the agreement with the governors (including parties such as PT, PCdoB and the PDT of Ciro Gomes) to freeze wages for an entire year (that is yet to be vetoed) were all overshadowed by the new approaching storm over Planalto after said video was published. An increasingly isolated Bolsonaro is trying to strengthen his “hard core” by calling for a mobilization of supporters in front of the government palace. Once again, his strategy did not work as expected and resulted in a weak mobilization called by the president of the nation, without parties and few allies.
Then Why Doesn’t he fall? It is clear that neither Maia nor the bourgeoise opposition as a whole are willing to take down Bolsonaro and his shameless cohorts. It is possible for them to be waiting for this government to finish, at its own expense, what it came to do: applying all necessary austerity measures along with their respective legal and structural reforms in order to ensure capitalist profits and thereby curtailing rights conquered by the working class and the poor. Another important factor, which is influential enough to weigh the scale against the government, is the PT and its main leader Lula. However, though the country is going through an unprecedent sanitary and economic crisis, at a high expense for working people, the main opposition, which still possesses legitimacy in many sectors (despite having lost much of their social base), sustains a criminal orientation of doing damage control by calling people to trust institutions and wait until 2022 if the institutional and parliamentary plan of impeaching Bolsonaro does not work. This means that Lula and the PT do not care about the terrible consequences of the crisis caused by the pandemic that so violently affect the Brazilian population. They may have compelling quotes and texts, but reality cannot be denied and, once again, the party that once talked about class struggle and defending our rights is now talking about conciliation and peace against those who deploy war tactics against the people.
The CUT and Other Union Federations are still sleeping. Following their leadership (PT and PCdoB) they remain static when facing the need of unifying the struggles towards a great general strike and working towards promoting the largest mobilization possible in order to take down this government that only brings hunger, illness and death. On the left, some comrades suggest impeaching Bolsonaro, relying on the institutional and parliamentary option and delaying the task of promoting, developing and strengthening the mobilizations. We hold that there is no other option than mobilizing in the streets, social media and balconies, with strikes by formal workers. That is the only way in which we can take down Bolsonaro, his government and his austerity plan. Mobilization is the only way to ensure that. Impeachment, as a valid tactic, has to be enforced by mobilization if we really want to take down Bolsonaro, Mourão and his entire austerity government of hunger, disease and death. If not promoted by mobilization, the impeachment tactic is just another proposal that does not offer those of us who endure this crisis an actual way out.
It is Time to Carry Out a Great Call, a unitary call, on the streets, taking into account all social distancing and safety measures. A call to express our anger towards Bolsonaro, Mourão and the entire government, for all of them to go. To defend the SUS and to fight for a Single Universal Free and Public Health System. To fight against lay offs and suspensions and to defend wages. To fight for an effective quarantine and lockdown to save our lives but also without worsening working and wage conditions. To fight for decent minimum wages for informal workers and the unemployed. It is necessary for us to unite with all political and labor currents, with CSP-Conlutas and the unions that are willing to fight and oust this government by acknowledging our differences but agreeing on promoting and strengthening the mobilizations. We have to call for meetings in each city with the goal of promoting a huge campaign in order to build and develop a mobilization of national scope.
From Socialist Alternative and the International Socialist League (ISL) we commit to make the greatest efforts for this to take place. Now more than ever, out with Bolsonaro! Out with Mourão! For a workers’ government!