February 25, 2019

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Last week I was in Europe talking to political leaders in Brussels, where the European Parliament operates, and in Spain where, in April elections for president and parliament will be happening, and where the European Socialist Congress took place. I spoke with political leaders and with Brazilian immigrants about democracy, women’s rights, minorities and worker’s rights in a world where elections are continuously threatened by extreme right movements, that spread lies and hate under millionaire schemes of fraud on social media. Similarities with Brazil are coincidental.

When talking to foreign politicians there are, always, three emotions: astonishment and concern with the direction our country is taking, and solidarity with our people and president Lula.

In meetings with leftist groups and social democrats in the European Parliament, it’s representatives expressed total indignation with Lula’s imprisonment in an unjust process, “undetermined acts”, are non-existent. Now, in Europe, it is evident the political persecution the  ex-president is suffering is part of a coup that started with Dilma Roussef’s impeachment and was aimed at stopping Lula disputing the elections in order to set up a reactionary agenda of reducing social and worker’s rights. This became clear as a result of visits to Brazil by deputies like Francisco Assis from the Portuguese Socialist Party, Miguel Úrban from the Spanish Podemos and Roberto Gualtieri from the Italian Democratic Party, and also, from Sergio Moro’s sentence readings without proof and without a crime, and from articles by internationally renowned jurists like the Italian Luigi Ferrajoli. Moro’s rise to power as Bolsonaro’s minister of justice ended up showing his partiality and his use of politics in Lula’s trial is not permitted in any other country that appreciates the judiciary’s independence and popular sovereignty.

Bolsonaro was elected because of a plot against Lula, a scheme of fake news funded illegally through WhatsApp against Fernando Haddad. Bolsonaro astonishes foreign countries, for being a person not prepared to be a president, with a authoritarian, old fashioned speech, controversial ministers, and constant aggression on social rights, human rights, social movements, women and natives. Outside Brazil, leaders were shocked when Bolsonaro denied the importance of science and dismissed environment issues as not important, causing great damage for the future of the new generation, a subject that increasingly mobilises the Europeans. Student protests nowadays are more frequent in Belgium, Sweden and England with a day long strike led by teenagers who call on the politicians to act now on environment protection, so they do not suffer the consequences of an environmental disaster.

They also know about Marielle Franco and demand justice for a crime where the suspects have a close relationship with the Bolsonaro family.

The Brazil, that with Lula was an admirable example of democracy, stability and working class progress, that was going towards having better social conditions similar to those in Europe, today is a country without credibility, where poverty is on the increase again and pensions are threatened by a brutal reform, which will leave their elderly in extreme poverty. A country without an independent foreign policy, submissive to the desires of United States of Trump, an unstable and aggressive ruler who promotes extreme right and authoritarian leaders around the world. Where there was once a peaceful South America, today there is the risk of a military conflict in Venezuela to satiate Trump’s administration for war and oil.

We have the world’s attention and solidarity with the worker’s struggles and the people of our country. This solidarity was important in the past, during the military dictatorship, and is important now. There is a growing interest in democratic issues, social rights and the environment, to protect common values between Brazil and Europe.

It is important for us to know that the democratic struggle in our country has international attention and is an important part of a bigger struggle in the world against hate and intolerance in politics. It is necessary for us to defeat the forces that are slowing us down in constructing a sustainable future, with less social inequality, and to save our planet from ‘fascism, intolerance and war’.

Gleisi Hoffman is a federal deputy (PT- PR) and the president of the Worker’s Party.

 

Workers Party | Translated by Cleusa Vicente, an activist for Free Lula UK Committee