Brazil

De nouvelles révélations montrent que la corruption coule dans les veines de la politique brésilienne. Une enquête portant le nom « Opération Lava Jato» - un réseau de blanchiment d'argent et de corruption lié à l'entreprise publique Petrobras et à un certain nombre de politiques - est en cours depuis 2014. Pas plus tard que la semaine dernière, cette enquête a mené à une nouvelle vague d'accusations contre d’autres membres du Congrès. Tous les partis politiques sont impliqués dans le scandale. La gangrène de l’Etat brésilien est claire pour tout le monde.

Ha habido nuevas revelaciones sobre la corrupción que corre por las venas de la política brasileña. Una investigación sobre lo que se conoce como 'Operación Lava Coches' (Lava Jato) –una red de lavado de dinero y soborno con enlaces con la petrolera estatal Petrobrás y una serie de políticos– ha estado en curso desde 2014. En fecha tan reciente como la semana pasada, esta investigación ha producido una nueva ola de acusaciones contra más miembros todavía del Congreso de todos los partidos políticos. La suciedad avariciosa que salpica al Estado brasileño es clara para que todo el que la vea.

There have been fresh revelations about the corruption coursing through the veins of Brazilian politics. An investigation into what has become known as ‘Operation Car Wash’ (Lava Jato) - a money laundering and bribery scheme with links to state-owned oil company Petrobras and a number of politicians - has been ongoing since 2014. As recently as last week, this investigation has produced a fresh wave of allegations against even more members of Congress from all political parties. The money-grubbing filth with which the Brazilian state is spattered is clear for all to see.

“Freedom is the goal, and struggle is the method”, says Lucy Dias, a university student and revolutionary activist from the organisation Liberdade e Luta (Freedom and Struggle), “but there can’t be real freedom under capitalism”. We’re sitting, along with 1500 other young socialists and political activists, in a vast warehouse in the old port district of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Defiant slogans decorate the walls and the building is awash with militant singing and lively drum beats. This is an international camp for young people who want to fight for their future, organised by Juntos!, a broad youth organisation. Here, there’s no doubt that spirit of freedom and struggle is

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By 61 votes to 20, the rotten Brazilian Senate has approved the impeachment of Dilma and, consequently, her definitive removal from office. This is the final chapter in a process which was started in December 2015 by the former president of the Chamber of Deputies, Eduardo Cunha.

The Brazilian Senate has just voted by a majority of 55 votes to 22 to proceed with the impeachment the President Dilma Rousseff. Michel Temer, the Vice-President, and member of the bourgeois PMDB, is now making preparations to form a new right-wing government. This marks the end of a long period of relative political stability in Brazil. The economy is in its worst recession since the 1930s. It is in this context that we can understand the recent dramatic shifts and turns in the political situation.

The 1st May in Brazil occurred in this year amid the deepening economic crisis and the political crisis in the country with the opening of impeachment of President Dilma Roussef, driven by the bourgeoisie to raise a government able to implement deeper the austerity measures demanded by capital.

The impeachment of Dilma was approved on Sunday by a united front of bourgeois parties in order to establish a government of Temer [current vice-president] and Cunha [Parliamentary speaker], with support from the PSDB (Brazilian Social Democratic Party), DEM (Democrats) and other parties.

Dramatic events unfolded in Brazil last night as the Congress [Parliament] voted to impeach President Dilma Rousseff. The whole country was following the process, divided into two camps, the reactionary pro-impeachment bourgeois and petit bourgeois, and the anti-impeachment workers and youth.

Federal Police arrived at the home of former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at 6am on Friday, March 4th, executing a bench warrant, commanding him to appear before the authorities to give testimony. Lula was released 3 hours later and has not yet been indicted.

The President [Speaker] of the Brazilian parliament, Eduardo Cunha is manoeuvring in an attempt to save his own skin. [Cunha has been charged with taking millions in bribes in connection with a kickbacks scheme that has embroiled state-run oil company Petrobras.] What does his acceptance of the request to initiate impeachment against Dilma mean? And what position should the working class adopt?

Both the internal and external debt of Brazil are skyrocketing. The internal debt has reached R$3.6trn and the external debt is now US$555bn. International capital is becoming worried about default.

During the 11th to the 13th of June the downbeat 5th Congress of the PT (Partido Trabalhador – the “Workers Party”) took place. This was a congress marked by disinterest in the plenary speeches, by booing from its participants, by pessimism about the political situation, demonstrating a crisis in the Party that deepens every day. This situation is set to continue as this Congress reaffirmed the political line that caused all this, a line promoted by the interests of a corrupted leadership.