BRAZIL: THE FIGHT AGAINST BOLSONARO AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION

Among the most ferocious regimes of recent times is that of Bolsonaro in Brazil. And now, at its first electoral test since he won the presidency in 2018, his party has suffered a humiliating defeat in local elections. In Sao Paolo and in Recife, it came fourth; in Manaus, fifth; and in Belo Horizonte, it won less than10% of the vote. This is against a background where Brazil’s currency has plummeted, unemployment has swelled to 13 million, and five million people have contracted COVID-19, of whom more than 160,000 have died.

According to a popular local joke, “Brazil is the country of tomorrow… and always will be.” The great “tomorrow” has disappointed time and again. Now a bright future is receding still further. Bolsonaro has accelerated brutal inequality, deforestation and forest fires, Covid infection, unemployment and racial antagonism. His government is now focused on speedy deregulation of the Amazon rainforest, Pantanal wetlands and Cerrado savannah to farming, mining and logging interests.

How has this perpetual “emerging economy” become trapped in environmental, social, political and economic decline? How was this possible after the Workers’ Party (PT) had come to power in a celebrated electoral victory in 2003 and carried out significant reforms such as Bolsa Família and Fome Zero? Can Bolsonaro and his program of vast environmental destruction be defeated and capitalism overthrown?

Two Brazilian socialists discuss prospects for Brazil:

Raquel Negrao, socialist, biologist and scientist on Plant Conservation and Ecology at Kew Gardens
Tainá Reis, Brazilian socialist and researcher on agrarian struggles and workers’ health.

The Bolsonaro regimes is using the Covid pandemic as a cover for full-scale deregulation. Please see this video on the accelerating environmental destruction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pekvGx3tLCU

A Workers’ International Network meeting