Luciana Lima       Special Correspondent for Agência Brasil

Salvador – Friday night, January 10, an assembly of Military Police (“PMs”) officers, that was smaller than the necessary quorum required to make an official decision, nevertheless decided to not join the in the strike movement by Military Police soldiers in Bahia. That was the first reversal in the Bahia Military Police strike that has grown for the last ten days and threatened to spread to other states.

According to a statement by officers present, the decision not to go on strike was made because of Carnival (which begins on January 17, officially, but has been pretty much in full swing in Bahia for weeks).

“Members of the force (“PMs”) are deeply upset and we know that their grievances are just. Governor [of Bahia] Jacques Wagner made a commitment but did not fulfill it. Even so, the population has suffered terribly and we do not wish to cause any more problems on the eve of Carnival (with the police on strike, murders and robberies have more than doubled in some parts of the state)…. We are not going on strike out of respect for the people. The state government does not deserve our respect. We will remain on the job because we have a promise from the authorities for new negotiations after Carnival, a promise witnessed by the archbishop of Salvador, dom Murilo Kriger, and representatives of state legal authorities (the state Bar Association – “OAB-BA” and the “Defensoria Pública”). We will see if a promise made is a promise kept this time,” declared representatives of PM officers after their assembly.

Meanwhile, on the streets of Salvador, almost no one ventures out after dark. Carnival parades (“blocos”) have been cancelled and shows postponed. Shopping malls are closing at 8:00 pm.

Allen Bennett - translator/editor The News in English

Link - Oficiais da PM decidem não aderir à greve na Bahia