Brazilians hadn’t expected their President Dilma Rousseff to disappoint them so badly, so fast. When she was reelected in October last year, defeating her opposition rival Aecio Neves with a narrow margin in an election that largely split the country between the poor north and wealthier south, the expectations weren’t very high. Voters get disappointed fast if they expect too much. That Rousseff disappointed them so badly despite low expectations is proof of her abysmal performance.
The 66-year-old former leftist guerrilla who was jailed and tortured for fighting the 1964-1985 dictatorship had pledged to reconcile Brazil, reboot the economy and fight corruption after the victory of her Workers’ Party (PT). But the country is now witnessing mass protests demanding her resignation for runaway corruption and looming recession in Latin America’s biggest country. Crowds chanting ‘Dilma out’ and singing the national anthem paraded through the capital Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, the country’s largest city Sao Paulo, and across Brazil. Police estimate a turnout at 419,000 people in dozens of cities and towns, while organizers claimed a total of 664,000. This is the third major anti-Rousseff protest this year, with 600,000 and at least one million demonstrators taking to the streets in April and March, respectively.
The protests have come very early for Rousseff, which is also good for the country. The president has two options: resign in response to the popular, swelling demand and give way to an able leader to rescue the country from the current malaise, or transform herself into a leader who can solve the problems and rise to the expectations of her people. First, she will have to launch a war against corruption, which is not easy because those who are involved are mighty. Prosecutors running the Petrobras corruption probe have brought charges against a who’s who of Brazilian movers and shakers, including the billionaire head of the global construction company Odebrecht and a navy admiral once tasked with overseeing a secret nuclear programme. Rousseff’s Workers’ Party has been badly shaken by the scandal and she has been tainted by association, even if not directly implicated. Her party’s treasurer was among those arrested in April. Secondly, she will have to implement a slew of measures to revive the economy and reduce the suffering of people.
Rousseff is unlikely to resign and Brazilians are expected to witness more of the same. She has stepped up her public appearances this month, defending herself and her plan to remain in office. She said she never considered resigning and asked Brazilians to reject politics that create chaos for political gain. But more than Brazilians, it’s she who needs advice•
Brazilians hadn’t expected their President Dilma Rousseff to disappoint them so badly, so fast. When she was reelected in October last year, defeating her opposition rival Aecio Neves with a narrow margin in an election that largely split the country between the poor north and wealthier south, the expectations weren’t very high. Voters get disappointed fast if they expect too much. That Rousseff disappointed them so badly despite low expectations is proof of her abysmal performance.
The 66-year-old former leftist guerrilla who was jailed and tortured for fighting the 1964-1985 dictatorship had pledged to reconcile Brazil, reboot the economy and fight corruption after the victory of her Workers’ Party (PT). But the country is now witnessing mass protests demanding her resignation for runaway corruption and looming recession in Latin America’s biggest country. Crowds chanting ‘Dilma out’ and singing the national anthem paraded through the capital Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, the country’s largest city Sao Paulo, and across Brazil. Police estimate a turnout at 419,000 people in dozens of cities and towns, while organizers claimed a total of 664,000. This is the third major anti-Rousseff protest this year, with 600,000 and at least one million demonstrators taking to the streets in April and March, respectively.
The protests have come very early for Rousseff, which is also good for the country. The president has two options: resign in response to the popular, swelling demand and give way to an able leader to rescue the country from the current malaise, or transform herself into a leader who can solve the problems and rise to the expectations of her people. First, she will have to launch a war against corruption, which is not easy because those who are involved are mighty. Prosecutors running the Petrobras corruption probe have brought charges against a who’s who of Brazilian movers and shakers, including the billionaire head of the global construction company Odebrecht and a navy admiral once tasked with overseeing a secret nuclear programme. Rousseff’s Workers’ Party has been badly shaken by the scandal and she has been tainted by association, even if not directly implicated. Her party’s treasurer was among those arrested in April. Secondly, she will have to implement a slew of measures to revive the economy and reduce the suffering of people.
Rousseff is unlikely to resign and Brazilians are expected to witness more of the same. She has stepped up her public appearances this month, defending herself and her plan to remain in office. She said she never considered resigning and asked Brazilians to reject politics that create chaos for political gain. But more than Brazilians, it’s she who needs advice•
