Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 12 May 2017

A year later, promises of Brazil’s Temer are on hold or lost

By MAURICIO SAVARESE ONLY HAVE JOBS IF THE IN-
Associated Press DUSTRY, COMMERCE AND
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — One SERVICE SECTORS ARE DO-
year ago Friday, then Vice ING WELL.”
President Michel Temer Brazil had 11 million unem-
took over Brazil’s presi- ployed people when Te-
dency from Dilma Rous- mer took over. Now there
seff, who was suspended are 14 million. Brazil’s mini-
and later permanently mum wage was only ad-
removed from office af- justed for inflation this year,
ter a brutal impeachment the first time its buying
fight that exposed deep power hasn’t been raised
divisions in Latin America’s since 2003. It is now $295 a
largest nation. month, very little in an ex-
In his first speech to the na- pensive country.
tion, the career politician Businesses have yet to
known for his deal-making find much reason for ex-
skills in Congress promised citement. Industrial out-
to unify Brazil and pull the put, which measures the
economy out of recession. amount of goods pro-
Below are excerpts of that duced and services ac-
speech and a look at what quired by manufacturers,
has happened with those grew 1.1 percent in March,
promises. Brazil’s President Michel Temer listens in during an event at the Brazilian Institute of Research in compared with the same
Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, May 8, 2017. A year after taking power amid a bitter impeachment battle,
“MY FIRST WORD TO THE the promises by Brazilian President Michel Temer are on hold or lost. month in the previous year.
BRAZILIAN PEOPLE IS TRUST.” (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Inflation has fallen sharply
Brazilians don’t trust Temer, under Temer, from more
according to numerous improvement in trust in the where outside Brasilia or identify as black or mixed than 10 percent to around
polls. In the most recent economic recovery. Ac- achieve social peace and race. He has since added 5 percent. However, econ-
by the Datafolha Institute, cording to think tank Fun- unity. His attempts to over- two women to the Cabi- omists say the underlying
only 9 percent approve his dacao Getulio Vargas, haul labor laws and the net. However, what many cause is that Brazilians are
job performance a year consumer confidence pension system triggered Brazilians interpreted with not buying. From Janu-
into office, four points be- stood at 82 points in April, Brazil’s first general labor his initial appointments — ary 2016 to January of this
low Rousseff at the time nine points higher than the strike in 20 years. He has that the government was year, retail sales dipped
she was suspended. Sev- same month one year ago. faced protests throughout by and for the white elite — 5.9 percent, according to
enty-one percent of those A business index points to a the year, and was jeered has largely stayed with his government figures.
polled reject the reforms 0.5 percent growth of the at the opening and clos- administration. “WE WILL KEEP SOCIAL
he is proposing. If he ran economy in 2017. By com- ing ceremonies of the Rio To his credit, Congress is PROGRAMS. THESE PROJ-
for re-election in 2018, only parison, Brazil’s gross do- Olympic Games. considering major legisla- ECTS WORKED WELL.”
2 percent would vote for mestic product contracted Temer’s bid to unify Brazil- tion in several areas. That Temer’s administration has
him, according to the poll, 3.6 percent last year. ians was also undermined is a big improvement com- cut or blocked 1.1 million
which interviewed 2,781 “IT IS URGENT TO PACIFY THE by his initial appointment pared to the end of Rous- families from the flagship
people April 26-27 and had NATION AND UNIFY BRAZIL.” of a Cabinet of all white seff’s time, when most ac- social program Bolsa Fa-
a margin of error of two In addition to low approval men, underscoring rac- tivity in Congress had come milia, or Family Purse. The
percentage points. ratings, Temer has strug- ism and sexism in a coun- to a halt. program provides a small
However, there is a small gled to muster support any- try where more than half “CITIZENS, HOWEVER, WILL income to poor families
who send their children to
Attorney: school and keep them un-
der a doctor’s supervision,
At least 65 Venezuelan military members detained according to government
figures.
Data released to The As-
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) lawyers’ cooperative Foro Capriles contends the na- demanding elections. The sociated Press after a re-
— A Venezuelan attorney Penal, said Thursday that tion’s military is “completely protests frequently end quest was made under
says at least 65 members of some of the officers have divided” and “profoundly with national guardsmen Brazil’s freedom of informa-
the country’s military have been charged with betray- unhappy” with the govern- and police launching tear tion law shows that most
been detained, including ing the motherland and ment. The detentions come gas and rubber bullets to cities affected by cuts to
officers and the captain of instigating rebellion while after more than a month disperse the protesters. the Family Purse program
an important border region others are still awaiting a of political unrest in which Government leaders deny were based in the poorest
unit. court hearing. hundreds of thousands there is any fissure among regions of Brazil, the north
Alonso Medina, with the Opposition leader Henrique have taken to the streets the ranks.q and northeast. q