(Politics) Brazil Protest: Brazilian Discontent In Numbers

We all have seen the images of Brazilian discontent towards their political representatives and the perceived corrosion of public services as Brazilians took to the streets in records number across major cities. The spark for this show of solidarity was a rise in bus fare which may seem trivial but it was clearly the final straw that broke the camel's back as discontent among Brazilians  has been a notable trend. According to a poll published by Gallup, public protests should shock nobody as Brazilians since 2010 have been less than impressed with the state of public services such as healthcare and schools with public satisfaction in schools sinking from 57% in 2010 to 48% in 2012 and a 16% (41% in 2010 and 25% in 2012) drop  in public satisfaction with healthcare in the same period.

The Brazilian public have also fallen out of love with the country's infrastructure with public satisfaction in transportation falling from 56% in 2010 to 48% in 2012 and public satisfaction with roads and highways dropped from 53% in 2010 to 44% in 2012. 

However, the most damning and important trend in the Gallup poll was the the Brazilian public attitude towards its government while 61% approved of their political leaders job performance 2010, only 47% could say the same in 2012. What's also interesting is the percentage of the Brazilian public who think their government is corrupt. while an astonishing 61% of Brazilians thought their government as corrupt in 2010, just two years later, that number shot up to 71%. 

What is shocking about these numbers is not that they are so high in a country considered a stable democracy, but they are part of a consistent trend of over two-thirds of the country see their government as corrupt. However, their view of their government is justified by a number of high profile scandals involving political officials such as the Mensalao scandal involving the former chief of staff former to ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

In sum, Brazil are a number of factors that have lead to the record breaking turnout across the country as the people of Brazil are now prepared to confront a government they have suspected of being corrupt for so long. They are no longer willing to accept the current state of affairs which were masked by the country stunning growth in recent years which is only now starting to stagnate. Finally, Brazil is a country with problems  that could rip it apart such as its well earned tag as one of the most unequal countries in the world and discontent towards members of its political class but these numbers in tandem with the protests should remind Brazil's leaders that a government that does not serve it people serves its demise. 

    

(Politics) Maduro Claims Victory as Political Pressures Increase in Venezuela

The situation in Venezuela the past few months has been interesting to say the least. Notwithstanding the inner turmoil and domestic anxiety felt by the passing of their longstanding former president, Hugo Chavez, the struggle for power has led to much uncertainty. Nevertheless, the Venezuelan presidential race can finally claim resolution as Nicolas Maduro –Chavez’s “next-in-line” guy –secured a victory yesterday by a rather slim margin. This, however, is causing quite a stir.

Henrique Capriles, Maduro’s presidential opponent, is speaking out against the newfound president. The presidential race, which was more of a mudslinging competition than an equally balanced political match, resulted in competitors trying to convince the people how they would reclaim the reigns of the Chavez legacy in order to lead their country into its great destiny. Capriles, on the other hand, was skeptical. Campaigning in opposition to the Chavez regime, and the years of bad politics which he claimed destroyed their oil rich nation, Capriles was not impressed with the statistics that declared Maduro the victor. “It is the government that has been defeated”, he poignantly proclaimed, “[this is] a result that is different from the results announced today.”

Regardless of popular belief, the struggle truly lies in the honest public opinion of who the Venezuelan people want as their president. Although Maduro had been acting as Chavez’s surrogate since his illness and subsequent March 5 death, the actual numbers were not so overwhelmingly in favor of the acclaimed successor. Official electoral votes put Maduro’s number at 50.7 percent of the popular vote, in comparison to Capriles’ 49.1 percent. The rising discontent of the country’s increasingly dismal situation is being coupled with power outages, crime and violence –making the Bush v. Gore drama back in 2000 look like smooth sailing.

In the same way, Capriles is demanding a recount: a fair and unbiased look at the gross numbers. As he calmed his supporters, he said that their campaign would push for a just reexamination, and although the electoral officials may not even permit it, Maduro said he was open to the idea. On this Capriles remarked: "We are not going to recognize a result until each vote of Venezuelans is counted…This struggle has not ended." Contrariwise, the Maduro headquarters is not showing any signs of backing down: "Let 100 percent of the ballot boxes be opened,” Maduro commented back, “We're going to do it; we have no fear."

So what’s next? Although many have been throwing around the terms “conspiracy” and “sabotage,” the consensus is becoming more orthodox among the people. It is easy to look for the “savior” of Venezuela: a one man redeemer to cure all their woes. “This country has learned a lot and today,” commented Jose Romero, a middle-aged layman, “we know that one person can't fix everything." Nevertheless, with the increasing $30 billion dollar financial debt, declining industry, and increasing bankruptcy, the Venezuelans are ready to move towards more practical solutions.

The Carnage Report // http://thecarnagereport.blogspot.com // 2013

Brent McCulley on Twitter // http://twitter.com/brentthewalrus

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