Brazilians abroad, a front against setback

August 22, 2019

Beginning on Friday, August 16, in Berlin, and ending on Sunday, 18th, the II International Meeting of the Front of Brazilians for Democracy and against the Coup (FIBRA), set 11 priority objectives for its program of struggle for the next two years.

Officially founded at its first meeting in Amsterdam in January 2017, FIBRA today brings together more than 80 organizations and movements in 40 countries in Europe, the United States, Canada, Latin America, including Brazil, in Israel and Australia. More than 250 people from all over the world, from a wide variety of organizations united in the fight for democracy in Brazil, participated in this meeting.

The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, linked to the Die Linke Party of Germany, hosted the meeting, giving it all the technical and logistical support. Participating guests included Marcia Tiburi, philosopher and writer, Jean Wyllys, former federal deputy for PSOL, both living outside Brazil due to threats received,, Renata Souza, PSOL state deputy in Rio de Janeiro, Breno Altman, journalist, editor of the site Opera Mundi, member of the Free Lula Committee in Brazil, and Maria Dantas, Brazilian by birth, with Spanish citizenship, Member of the Spanish Congress for the Republican Alliance of Catalonia.

The success of a meeting between such disparate and heterogeneous entities was only possible due to the methodological effort of the event organizers. Through the meetings of five working groups and plenary sessions, it was possible to plan eleven objectives outlining the actions of FIBRA and its member organizations, and numerous resulting actions. It will be impossible to review everything here: there are dozens and dozens of proposed actions of which we will comment on some as well as possible.

FIBRA’s objectives over the next two years are:

Reflect on and disseminate the geopolitical role of Brazil and its situation post-coup and after the election of Jair Bolsonaro. Among other actions, we intend to chart the presence of multinational companies in the Brazilian economy and promote knowledge about family farming (for example) in Brazil.
Fight for the freedom of former President Lula and all political prisoners in the country. This was a theme that went through the whole meeting, reaffirming the conviction that the backbone of the struggle for democracy in Brazil goes through the freedom of the former president and the denunciation of legal and media persecution against him. One of the actions proposed here is the referral by entities and citizens of letters to Transparency International, which gave its 2016 prize to Lava Jato, requesting its cancellation, thanks to the series of evidence and proof that it was a political conspiracy, disguised as a fight against corruption, published by The Intercept and other media.
Consolidate FIBRA as a platform for unity between its organizations and the struggles in the places where they are based, such as the struggle for the rights of immigrants and refugees in Europe, threatened by the growing fascist wave spreading worldwide.
Uncompromising defence of Human Rights, denouncing fascism, racism, all phobias against threatened groups such as LGBTIs, natives, Quilombolas, targeted women and victims of femicide, poor, slum dwellers, among others.
Combat racism and remnants of and renascent colonial and neo-colonial practices.
Strengthen the fostering of culture and political awareness. Fight for the right to education in Brazil.
Dialogue with religious groups from all backgrounds.
To be a permanent forum for solidarity with migrants, immigrants and refugees, a theme of great importance in the United States and Europe.
Defend the environment and the rights of indigenous peoples and other traditional peoples. Noteworthy was the aggression against the Amazon, a matter of deep concern worldwide. Two prestigious German publications, Der Spiegel and Die Zeit, called on the German government to take reprisals against Brazil. Norway and Germany have canceled sending Amazon protection funds to the Bolsonaro government.
Defend labor rights and trade union organization.
Fight for the democratization of the media.

The agenda is ambitious, but meets the breadth and variety of FIBRA’s composition. During the meeting, several artistic workshops were held, covering cinema, a photo exhibition, poetry, music, dance and theatre, with very lively presentations during the debates. There was also an assessment of the Brazilian situation, noting that the resilience shown by the population is greater than it seems at first glance, with reference to the large demonstrations in defence of education, the June general strike, the Margaridas March (rally of rural women workers), women and indigenous peoples, among others. Throughout the importance of creating a democratic front was stressed at this time when the left and the popular movements are on the defensive.

The meeting ended with a march that, from the headquarters of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation headed to the remains of the nearby historic Berlin Wall, where a letter from former President Lula addressed to the meeting participants was read. It all ended with the unanimous cry: FREE LULA!

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