Brazilian government admits strength of protests

After the political coordination meeting with President Dilma Rousseff, Chief of Staff Jaques Wagner said Monday (Mar. 14) that the government admits the “strength” of the demonstrations held Sunday (Mar. 13) but they have also showed an agenda considered "negative because it had no proposition."

"It all about 'down with someone' and that's it. This will not solve Brazil's problem. Impeachment is not a remedy to unpopularity, nor to economic crisis. Anyway, they must have excited the opposition. "

According to the minister, the government has "nothing bombastic to announce" in response to the street protests. "We will speed up what we have already been doing. There are several components, but the one I consider essential is the economy. If the economy is reporting rising unemployment and a slowdown in economic activity, people will not be happy. If we face a situation with low economic activity, markets,  people's homes, and families will surely be in a bad mood. This [economic recovery] is the only remedy to be done in my opinion, and we are thinking about this remedy," he added.

In Wagner's view, yesterday's protests do not weaken the government. "People who take to the street clearly have an opposition profile. If 51 million people went to the polls in [2014]  elections to be against President Dilma's government or against the Workers' Party (PT), I think that the protest does not weaken it. It is part [of the population]. The government needs to recover the economy to be full of energy, to resume generating job. People's well-being reflects a government's pros and cons. Protests are part of a democratic life. The protest shows that people want institutions to be transparent and strong, respecting one another, as provided in the Constitution. "

To the minister, different from the acts performed during the period of Diretas Já (Direct Elections Now), in 1984, and during former President Fernando Collor's impeachment, in 1992, the current demonstrations against the government are large, but come from specific segments of society. "It is obvious that there are people who voted for her [Dilma Rousseff] and are not content. We just need to look at the [evaluation] polls. We have lost strength and we admit it. But we have not necessarily strengthened them [opposition]."

The minister reported that the government is assembling ministers and allied political leaders to design the president's defense strategy in the impeachment proceedings at the Chamber of Deputies.

"Because, depending on the Supreme Court decision, to be announced by Wednesday (Mar. 16), proceedings may be initiated. So we'll have to worry about creating the special committee and then talk to everyone. I have peace of mind to say that we have everything to dismiss this case already at the Chamber of Deputies. I think we will have more than 172 votes. President Dilma Rousseff has no responsibility for the crimes by which she is being punished. These proceedings became more political, an attempt to fix the economy by impeachment. I think this is the worst remedy because it will freeze the country for more than 120, or 180 days, and then we lose another year."

Supreme Court is expected to conclude this week the embargoes trial put by Lower House Speaker Eduardo Cunha (member of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party—PMDB) on President Dilma Rousseff's impeachment proceedings.

Criminalization of politics

Minister Jaques Wagner said he is concerned about the criminalization of politics because opposition politicians have also been booed during demonstrations yesterday (Mar. 13).

"When I see Deputy José Carlos Aleluia [member of the Democratas] being booed in Bahia state, the São Paulo governor [Geraldo Alckmin, member of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party—PSDB] and Minas Gerais senator [Aécio Neves, also member of the PSDB] not being welcomed as well, it's good to flash the yellow light for everyone who loves democracy and politics. Because the country, with the criminalization of politics, can fall into an authoritarian [government]. I will not say that those who took to the street were asking for authoritarianism in order not to go the wrong way. But they were slightly denying politics. Those who considered they could take advantage of it, apparently, could not take it. This increases my worries: when people say they do not want this [politician] and they do not want any other. "

Alckmin and Aécio were booed at demonstrations in Avenida Paulista, in São Paulo capital.

As a solution to the crisis, the minister defends a political reform. "The true flag to be raised by those who defend the democracy in politics, in the economy, in the media should stand for is the political reform. If we do not have a structural political reform in this country, we will be throwing away the Brazilian democracy. For me, it does not seem reasonable to have more than 30 parties, because I do not know the 30 parties and the many paths Brazil may follow."

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta