Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and her mentor and charismatic predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, are in trouble. Rousseff is fighting to remain in power as pressure mounts for her resignation following last week’s police questioning of Lula in connection with the nation’s biggest-ever corruption scandal. Lula is accused of taking bribes from companies involved in a huge embezzlement and kickbacks scheme at the state oil company Petrobras and as a result, the country witnessed the extraordinary scene of a powerful ex-president being taken away by police, backed up by officers in camouflage with rifles. Rousseff is facing impeachment proceedings over alleged fiscal mismanagement, and compounding her woes, the Supreme Electoral Court is considering possible campaign funding irregularities that could result in the annulment of her 2014 reelection. She is also facing discontent of the public which is evident in her dismal popularity ratings.
Brazil is headed for more political turbulence as both the ruling party and the opposition are flexing their muscles over the current crisis. The turbulence will be played out on the streets as both sides are planning mass rallies. The ruling Workers’ Party, the historic party of the Brazilian left, will try to show its strength with a series of demonstrations announced in big cities, on Tuesday, March 18 and March 31. But the turnout is likely to be muted in view of the current crisis. The opposition is planning rallies across the country this Sunday which are expected to find huge participation.
Brazil needs a stable and strong government to ride out a slew of challenges the country is facing, the most important of which is a struggling economy. The Congress is paralyzed and the crisis has hit governance. A worsening of the crisis will further damage the economy and a recovery will be difficult.
Lula denies having taken corrupt money and is saying the police operation against him is ‘a show’. But that will have to be proved in a court. The law must be allowed to take its course in fighting corruption and the guilty need to be brought before justice, however powerful they are.
The Workers’ Party supporters increasingly see the legal case on Lula and Rousseff as an attack on the very core of the country’s leftist movement. As both sides harden their positions, a compromise is increasingly becoming difficult.
The options for Rousseff and her party are limited. Rousseff already cuts a forlorn figure. According to reports, every time Brazil’s first female president appears on television, crowds of opponents across the country lean out of their windows to bang pots and yell. A recent survey found that 88.6 percent of Brazilians are following the Petrobras scandal, and within this group, 67.8% said Ms. Rousseff is responsible for the corruption.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and her mentor and charismatic predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, are in trouble. Rousseff is fighting to remain in power as pressure mounts for her resignation following last week’s police questioning of Lula in connection with the nation’s biggest-ever corruption scandal. Lula is accused of taking bribes from companies involved in a huge embezzlement and kickbacks scheme at the state oil company Petrobras and as a result, the country witnessed the extraordinary scene of a powerful ex-president being taken away by police, backed up by officers in camouflage with rifles. Rousseff is facing impeachment proceedings over alleged fiscal mismanagement, and compounding her woes, the Supreme Electoral Court is considering possible campaign funding irregularities that could result in the annulment of her 2014 reelection. She is also facing discontent of the public which is evident in her dismal popularity ratings.
Brazil is headed for more political turbulence as both the ruling party and the opposition are flexing their muscles over the current crisis. The turbulence will be played out on the streets as both sides are planning mass rallies. The ruling Workers’ Party, the historic party of the Brazilian left, will try to show its strength with a series of demonstrations announced in big cities, on Tuesday, March 18 and March 31. But the turnout is likely to be muted in view of the current crisis. The opposition is planning rallies across the country this Sunday which are expected to find huge participation.
Brazil needs a stable and strong government to ride out a slew of challenges the country is facing, the most important of which is a struggling economy. The Congress is paralyzed and the crisis has hit governance. A worsening of the crisis will further damage the economy and a recovery will be difficult.
Lula denies having taken corrupt money and is saying the police operation against him is ‘a show’. But that will have to be proved in a court. The law must be allowed to take its course in fighting corruption and the guilty need to be brought before justice, however powerful they are.
The Workers’ Party supporters increasingly see the legal case on Lula and Rousseff as an attack on the very core of the country’s leftist movement. As both sides harden their positions, a compromise is increasingly becoming difficult.
The options for Rousseff and her party are limited. Rousseff already cuts a forlorn figure. According to reports, every time Brazil’s first female president appears on television, crowds of opponents across the country lean out of their windows to bang pots and yell. A recent survey found that 88.6 percent of Brazilians are following the Petrobras scandal, and within this group, 67.8% said Ms. Rousseff is responsible for the corruption.
