Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Brazilians Demonstrate in Support of Dilma Rousseff
Hundreds of people demonstrated this Sunday in Brasilia in support of suspended President Dilma Rousseff and against the newly installed interim government

International news staff | informacion@granma.cu
May 16, 2016 10:05:34

BRASILIA.—Hundreds of people demonstrated this Sunday in Brasilia in support of suspended President Dilma Rousseff and against the new interim government, led by Michel Temer.

The protest, organized by the Workers’ Party (PT), took place entirely peacefully in the so-called plaza of the three powers of the Brazilian capital, surrounded by the Palacio de Planalto, the parliament and the Supreme Federal Court (STF).

With the slogan “Fuera Temer” (Get out Temer), the protesters, dressed in red and armed with placards denouncing the interim government, stopped traffic on one of the central avenues of the city, watched over by dozens of police.

They chanted slogans in favor of Rousseff, who was removed from power on May 12 after the initiation of impeachment proceedings against her in the Brazilian Senate.

“It's a very hard feeling to define, because it is sadness, revolt and impotence,” Susana Braine, a member of the protesting PT told Notimex.

“Democracy, which was won through struggle, is now the object of international ridicule. The coup was carried out by bandits who do not represent the Brazilian people, but were in the right place at the right time,” she added, referring to the congresspeople who voted for the impeachment.

“Now what we need to do is to fight with everything we can in the judiciary, mobilize people on the streets and during the six months of the Temer government, not allow them to govern,” protester Félix Valente said.

“In six months the situation in Brazil could change greatly. As the people begin to feel the impact of unpopular measures, the coming months will be terrible,” the 70 year old added, referring to the fiscal adjustment plans of the new government, which has announced reforms to pensions and labor rights.

The Temer government, which last week presented its executive, was at first criticized by the now opposition PT, but has now also been condemned by organizations that had supported the impeachment of Rousseff, such as the Order of Attorneys of Brazil (OAB), which represents the country’s lawyers.

The President of the institution, Claudio Lamachia, denounced the fact that several of Temer’s newly appointed ministers - including those of Planning, Tourism and the Secretary of Government - are themselves under investigation or have been called to provide statements as suspects to police as part of the Operation Lava Jato corruption probe.

“The appointment of people under investigation goes against the aspirations of society and should not have happened,” read an OAB statement.

The daily O Estado de São Paulo published an article on Sunday noting that at least 12 ministers in the new government received campaign funds from construction companies involved in the Petrobras scandal, which saw billions in public funds divertedfrom the company.

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