It gained momentum when the Federal Police of Brazil (equivalent to the FBI) initiated a crackdown on a corruption scheme that became known as lava-jato (car-wash), a scandalous bribe scheme at the state owned oil giant Petrobras which was mounted under Mrs. Rousseff’s watch.
However, as it is expected in Brazilian politics, many of the same senators who initiated the impeachment process against Rousseff are themselves under investigation for taking part in the bribe scheme that is calculated to be in the billions of dollars. And so the plot thickens.
Amidst such scenario, Dilma Rousseff became the scapegoat of Brazil, in the same fashion perhaps that the Bush administration initiated an intentional and widespread fear mongering and deception campaign as to gain support to invade Iraq after the 9/11 attack.
In that case, however, the scapegoat was Saddam Hussein who was also perceived as a hindrance by the American oligarchy. So, history repeats itself but on opposite sides of the hemisphere. Truth is that both Hussein and Rousseff became guilty by association.
Considering the rivalry between members of Rousseff’s leftist workers party (PT) and the PMDB, the center-right party to which Rousseff’s substitute belongs to, my greatest fear is that Brazil may fall in a state of social chaos that will make today’s Iraq pale in comparison.
Violence is rampant in Brazil, which boasts the highest intentional homicide rate in the world in absolute numbers. The once tranquil city of Porto Alegre has gone as far as requesting Federal military troops to aid the local police in a desperate attempt to curtail crime. I fear things are getting completely out of control in Brazil.
Although constitutional, the impeachment process came at a momentum of high skepticism towards the establishment and the real intentions of the congressmen who voted for the impeachment.
Members of the Brazilian lower and working classes who have always been perceived as pacifists, and constitute the vast majority of the country’s population, may prove the stereotype to be false after all.
Furthermore, Rousseff under the influence and support of populist Lula da Silva has promised not to leave quietly.
Glauco Ortolano is a Brazilian writer and scholar, presently teaching at the University of Jamestown.
ortolanos@gmail.com
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