Page 12 - aruba-today-20180623

A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 23 June 2018
Many Brazilians look to military amid anger at politicians

By PETER PRENGAMAN against it. Six percent de-
MARCELO SILVA DE SOUSA clined to respond.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Fu- Today there is also much
rious at corrupt politicians confusion about the econ-
and fearful of deteriorat- omy under military rule.
ing security, many Brazil- "Ask anybody who lived
ians are calling for a mili- through the military gov-
tary intervention to clean ernment," Antonio Kleiber
house of crooked leaders do Nacimento, a 26-year-
and crack down on heavily old marketing specialist in
armed drug gangs. Sao Paulo who supports an
While chances of a military intervention. "There were
takeover in Latin America's good jobs, functioning hos-
largest nation are small, the pitals."
calls have become such When Brazilian generals
a part of the national dis- took over in 1964, inflation
cussion that several gener- was at 90 percent and gross
als have felt compelled to domestic product growth
deny any interest in such a at 3 percent, according
move — though that hasn't to central bank figures. By
kept them from sounding the late 1960s, inflation was
off on politics in a way that brought under 30 percent
raises questions. and massive public works
Such discussions would programs helped fuel sev-
have been unthinkable In this March 20, 2018 file photo, Gen. Walter Souza Braga Netto attends a ceremony in Rio de eral years of GDP growth
even a few years ago in Janeiro, Brazil. around 10 percent.
a country that emerged Associated Press In the early 1980s, however,
from a 21-year dictatorship Brazil suffered several years
in 1985, and most support- trucking company in Rio de Datafolha polling institute, kidney infections. Repeat- of recession, and when the
ers tend to avoid the words Janeiro. "That is not what said a sluggish economic ed electric shocks to her military government ended
"coup" or "dictatorship." But we have today." recovery after a deep re- vagina — a common prac- in 1985, inflation was at 235
the largest corruption scan- Brazilians are understand- cession is adding to the tice to extract information percent.
dal in Latin American histo- ably angry. Beginning in angst. — led to such severe uri- Brazilian generals today,
ry and an economic down- 2014, the so-called Car- "The crisis creates dissatis- nary infections that doctors who were young soldiers
turn have underscored an wash investigation has faction, hardships for many told her she would never during the dictatorship,
emerging narrative that uncovered a colossal cor- families and then there is have children. have repeatedly said they
only the armed forces can ruption scheme that raised this fantasy that a military "It's like your body is being have no intention of inter-
save Brazil. eyebrows in a country long dictatorship would be able removed from your mind," vening. Since February, the
"Close down Congress, ar- inured to graft in politics. to put the economy on she said, tears in her eyes, military has been in charge
rest everybody involved (in Several construction com- track," said Prandi. as she recounted being tor- of security in the state of Rio
corruption) and shut the Su- panies essentially formed Prandi, historians and po- tured. de Janeiro. Temer ordered
preme Court," said Toni Im- a cartel that decided litical analysts say there is Despite that past, the mili- the intervention amid rising
brosio Oliveira, a 61-year- which firms would get in- much ignorance about tary is by far the most trust- crime less than two years
old physical education flated contracts from state the dictatorship, in part be- ed institution in Brazil today, after Rio hosted the 2016
teacher in Rio. "Why? Be- oil company Petrobras, si- cause an amnesty law has and polls show a decline Summer Olympics.
cause there is collusion be- phoning billions of dollars kept alleged perpetrators in support for democracy "When people are fearful
tween all three branches of for kickbacks to company from being tried. and increasing support for and scared, they look for
power." officials, politicians and Compared to other mili- the military to take a stron- easy, quick solutions," said
Like other supporters, other government officials. tary governments in South ger hand. Robert Muggah, research
Oliveira said the military The investigation and re- America, such as in Argenti- In April, when the Supreme director for Rio-based think
should only be in power lated probes have led to na and Chile, Brazil's version Court was deciding wheth- tank Igarape, which focus-
long enough to write a new the jailing of several of the was less repressive. Still, at er to allow da Silva, Brazil's es on security. "Right now,
constitution, try corrupt pol- country's elite, from former least 434 people were killed president between 2003 the political system is in cri-
iticians and hold general Odebrecht CEO Marcelo or disappeared during the and 2010, to remain free sis and the economic sys-
elections. Odebrecht to ex-President dictatorship, according to while he appealed a cor- tem is in meltdown."
Until recently, calls for a Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. a truth commission report in ruption conviction, Army Civil rights groups argue
return of military rule only But many politicians ac- 2014. Thousands more were Gen. Eduardo Villas Boas that the intervention, which
came from small groups on cused of wrongdoing, in- tortured, and the press was tweeted: "I assure the na- has put thousands of troops
the fringes. Today that view cluding President Michel heavily censured. tion that the Brazilian Army, on the streets, does noth-
has moved much closer to Temer, remain in office. "People who want inter- like all good citizens, shares ing to address the issues
the mainstream. Polls, myr- Watchdog groups esti- vention have no idea what the longing for the repudia- driving increasing violence,
iad social media groups mate that 60 percent of a military government is," tion of impunity." like unemployment, lack of
and last month's national members of Congress have said Ana Miranda, who Many interpreted that as a services and deep income
truckers' strike, in which either been charged or said she was tortured in the warning of the top court to inequality.
"Military Intervention Now!" are being investigated for late 1960s and jailed four act against da Silva, which The general in charge of
signs were ubiquitous, show wrongdoing, and many years for participating in military leaders denied. the intervention, Walter
growing support. will be running in October's anti-government demon- Still, a Datafolha poll soon Souza Braga Netto, has
"I support a military inter- general election. strations. after found that 61 per- also shown an authoritar-
vention to create a digni- Reginaldo Prandi, a sociol- Miranda, a retired pharma- cent of Brazilians supported ian streak, prohibiting jour-
fied democracy in Brazil," ogy professor at the Univer- cist who lives in Rio de Ja- the military sounding off nalists from filming or pho-
said Donizeti Dias Pereira, sity of Sao Paulo and co- neiro, said she was kicked on the political situation tographing him at public
director of Tranziran, a founder of the respected so many times that she got compared to 33 percent events.q