Philippe Nick

Brazil and 2013.(Media Corruption)

What kind of country is this?

“In the slums, in the SenateThere's mess everywhere

No one respects our ConstituitionBut everybody believes in the progress of our nation

What kind of country is this?What kind of country is this?What kind of country is this?

In the Amazon river , araguaiabaixada Fluminense

Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais,and in the Northeast, everything's in peace

I'll rest when my death comesBut the bloodshed goes on and on

Staining papers, truthfull documentsTo bosses and kingpins' relieve, I say:

What kind of country is this?What kind of country is this?What kind of country is this?

This 3rd world thing, if it's just a joke, leave it aloneBut Brazil will become rich

We'll earn thousands of dollarswhen we sell the souls of all our indians

in a auctionWhat kind of country is this?What kind of country is this?What kind of country is this?”

by Renato Russo

! In a world-wide perspective, because of world-wide media, Brazil is seen

as a stunning tropical country, filled with paradisiac beaches, and beautiful

woman who walk around semi-naked. That is all true but the problem is that this

reputation haunts the people who actually live in the country. Why you may ask?

Because of all this bad fame of being the king of carnivals and soccer nation

some major issues have been left aside and ignored by our government. The

impressive brazilian government that is so worldly known for its corruption that it

tried to implement a new law that hindered the Public Ministry to investigate any

suspicious activity in within the congress. The government has disappointed the

nation once again by spending $3.5 billion dollars in stadiums for the 2014 FIFAʼs

world cup when the infrastructure of most cities is falling to pieces. Some of the

main highways where commercial transportation is suppose to take place are

completely inaccessible, leading cities to become scarce on food and health

products.

Current Account Balance (US$)

! This explicit exploitation and continuous abuse on peopleʼs lives was on a

thin line impatiently waiting for a breakthrough revolution. Brazil taxes every part

of the value chain so by the time consumer's receive the product, it has been

taxes various times. It's quite a

challenge to figure out the total

value of tax. For cars, federal and

state taxes count for 42% of the

end-consumer price. For imported

Nike sneakers it's as much as 66%

of the consumer price. Besides this

tax rate it has among the highest

inflation in the world according to

the “World Bank” at 6.63% in 2011.

However, the real rate of inflation in

cities like Rio and SãoPaulo is even higher.  During my stay in Rio de Janeiro

from May 10th until August 10th I got to observe the transition from a chaotic city

filled with unsatisfied citizens vastly changing into a united nation fighting

together for a better home country. I witnessed the awaking of an entire nation

against its overpowering system, it was truly beautiful and a remarkable memory

which I will bring with me to the grave. In June 1st of 2013 a raise of $0.20 in the

bus and subway prices went into effect. 19 days later, the streets of 438 cities in

Brazil were occupied by its people protesting not just against the fare raise, but

also at the well known corruption that grows inside the brazilian government.

Organizers of the nationʼs biggest protests in almost two decades had vowed to

remain on the streets until fares were lowered. Here are some lists of the main

causes, goals and achievements from the protests:

! Main Causes of the Protests:

• Increases in bus, train and metro fare in some major cities

• Multiple issues regarding infrastructure, education and health care among other

public services

• High cost of living

• Increasing government funding of major sports events

• Feeling of alienation from government decisions

• Multiple scandals of corruption, embezzlement and overbilling in the

government

• Multiple reports of abuse of special benefits conceded to Brazilian politicians

• Controversial law in discussion by National Chamber's plans limiting the powers

of the Public Ministry to investigate criminal activities, among other reasons

! Main Goals of the protests:

• Improvements in public transport with less cost to the population (subdued June

24)

• Increase of government effort and funds to improve other key services including

public education, national health care and transport infrastructure altogether

(subdued June 24)

• Less priority to fund major sports events (subdued June 24)

• Revocation of controversial law in discussion byNational Chamber's plans

limiting the powers of the Public Ministry to investigate criminal activities in the

government (subdued June 25)

! Results from Protests:

Reduction in the prices of Public transport (Metro, Train and Bus) (Governments approved June 2013)

Revocation of (Bill - PEC 37) that hindered the Public Ministry to investigate (Congress approved June 2013)

Destination of petroleum royalties to Education (75%) and Health (25%) (Congress approved June 2013)

Criminalization of all forms of Corruption and Embezzlement as heinous crimes (Congress approved) Pending

The end of Secret vote in Congress for forfeiture of office (Congress approved)Pending

The end of all Taxes in the Public Transport (Metro, Train, Bus and Ship) (Congress approved June 2013)National Pact to improve Education, Health, Public Transport (Government established June 2013)

National Pact to Fiscal responsibility and control of Inflation (Government established June 2013)

Implementation of federal Plebiscite to Politic reform in the country (Government established) Pending

Revocation of (Bill - PDL 234) "Gay cure" authorizing sexual orientation conversion therapy by psychologists (Congress approved July 2013)

! Unfortunately these protests have been receiving a vandalism reputation

because the main stream mediaʼs been working really hard to give it a bad image

but it is important to know that there is a large range of people who are present

during the protests and the majority are 20-30 year oldʼs university students. The

Globo, one of the main channels

followed in the culture, used the

soccer idol Ronaldo on television

defending the governmentʼs actions

of investment on stadiums, or in his

words “You stadiums to have a

World cup. You canʼt put on a World

cup with hospitals.”

! This is one of the many ways

of the media trying to persuade

people for staying at home and ignore what goes on during the protests. Another

technique the Government uses to oppress the situation is by giving orders to the

military police to completely clear the areas of protest and if brute force if

necessary. To counter-attack this main stream media, a group of revolutionary

idols from Brazil have created a major name (used with hashtag for following)

called “midianinja”. This is a media group formed in 2011 declaring to be an

alternative media source from the traditional. They go to the protests and live

feed through the internet anything that is happening, captures a lot of injustice

and the brutal abuse of force by the military police. Thanks to the “midianinja” we

find out who the infiltrated cops are that disguise amongst the civilians and try to

start vandalism actions causing chaos purposely. Itʼs shameful that during my

visit home I was feeling oppression taking over the streets, in one of my most

intense experiences during a protest my friend and I got separated from each

other because of all the movement from the people running away, and I was all

alone getting chased down by troops discharging rubber bullets and tear-gas

grenades at every direction. I could barely see anything and was holding my

breath until I could get away from all the smoke to hide out.

Click on this HERE to watch this student explaining why she will not go to the

World Cup and you shouldnʼt either:

Interview with Antonio Collet (56 year old resident of RJ)

1- How do you like living in Rio de Janeiro right now?

 We live in a quiet neighboring district, quite distant from downtown where

protests are happening. Our area is experiencing high development in terms of

transportation, large expressways and urban facilities.

2- Have the recent protests affected your daily routines?

No, we just follow via TV and newspapers.

3- Do you personally want change in Brazil?

Yes and I do my best for it. I help people explaining about financing risks and

writing protesting texts against corruption in internet. Those are fields of my

professional domain.  

4- Have you taken part of and what do the protests mean to you?

 No. But as far as I know, there are two kinds of protests: the right ones

envisaging benefits (elementary teachers, bank staff workers, blue collars) and

the wrong ones destroying urban accessories and shoplifting and hurling Molotov

cocktails against police officers and vehicles (black blocks organization with

covered faces).

 5- Do you think there will be an outcome from the protests? And if yes,

what will it be?

 It is part of a process of claim. But there are political groups behind those puppet

people.  

The same interview but with Dalmo Roger Ferreira (26 year old resident of RJ)

1- How do you like living in Rio de Janeiro right now?

I still don't know what it means. I believe it's like a dream.

I got a opportunite to work and move to Rio em 2009 and I left my job.

...now I live in Rio de Janeiro.

2- Have the recent protests affected your daily routines?

Yeah!!! ... for sure. I never had a normal day of life since the beginning of journeys of june.

There is a big difference between protests and riots and we have both at the same time.

3- Do you personally want change in Brazil?

Noway. Brazil is too big to be changed.

I only want to change myself. It's good enough...

4- Have you taken part of and what do the protests mean to you?

I can't explain easily what it means to me.

The riots are a very complex combination of social problems we have in the

third-world. I have lyrics for it...

The Party - Dead Fish

“Come on everybody let's join the party they're killing

another brother, so let's go, maybe they'll let us see!

How fascinating scene where everything come out

in a distorted way.

Come on let's go let's watch a new sacrifice,

they manipulate, i know what is better for me yeah,

they don't killed our bro. it's just a movie scenery!

now I'm fascinate, come on join us and celebrate

the new order (that you) now imposed

so now we just a little bit concerned! or just cry for a few?

While they're killing million and we can only see one or two.

What's on TV? Sometimes we do the same!

Cause we have messias who only says the truth

and we don't wanna hear the voice of pervert youth

all these children need's a dosage of reality in our institution

to learn not speak nonsense about our good system

our community is tired of been defied by this dirty punks.

(they manipulate... now I'm fascinate...) is there any answer

for what they are doing we can't also assume but sometimes”

5- Do you think there will be an outcome from the protests? And if yes,

what will it be?

I believe that any type of calculation generates rest.

I think the big bankers of the world can answer that better than me. Speak with

them that Dalmo Roger lives in a country that produces food for a country three

times bigger and I still have plenty of hungry people around.

!

! In all honesty, this movements are the result from a undergoing problem

within the community and it has mainly to do with the bare aspects of life quality

and social contrast. The message behind this paper, besides raising awareness

about what is happening in Brazil, is to give a better understanding of why

citizens are unsatisfied and what are they protesting about. The system is

evidently incapable of containing the situation and the main stream media keeps

being manipulated to prevent people from taking a part at the events, yet the

truth seems to find a way to reach whoever is interested on being involved.

Highly recommend this short documentary:

The São Paulo protests in 7 acts:

http://www.vice.com/en_ca/vice-news/the-sao-paulo-protests-in-7-acts-part-1

http://www.vice.com/en_ca/vice-news/the-sao-paulo-protests-in-7-acts-part-2

Source Links:

http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestos_no_Brasil_em_2013

http://educacao.uol.com.br/noticias/2013/06/22/onda-de-protestos-no-brasil-ainda-nao-e-revolta-popular-saiba-por-que.htm

http://www.vice.com/en_ca

http://brazilianprotests.tumblr.com/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-24545479

http://blog.tribatics.com/2013/06/18/protestos-brasileiros-no-twitter-1708/

http://www.osensato.com.br/o-que-realmente-esta-por-tras-dos-protestos-brasileiros/

http://g1.globo.com/protestos-no-brasil/2013/cobertura/

“They drained our blood and raped our country far too long”