FROM NEW YORK TIME: CUIDADO BRASILEIROS: By Charles Roth The protests sweeping across Brazil’s biggest cities have morphed from frustration over fare hikes for poor public transportation to a more generalized dissatisfaction with the poor state of public services, from inadequate education and health care to high crime rates, thick bureaucracy and ample evidence of corruption within government ranks. The protests, which at points have turned violent, no doubt have taken President Dilma Rousseff by surprise, given their quick growth, breadth and the diffuse nature of their composition, comprising many in Brazil’s emergent middle class. On Tuesday, she attempted to put the best face on them, saying they reflect the vigor of Brazil’s democracy and strengthen what is now the world’s sixth-largest economy. But they also reflect a malaise into which Brazil, which over the last decade has lifted tens of millions out of poverty thanks to a long-running global commodities and domestic consumption boom, has slipped into over the last couple years. Though her support has recently eroded, Ms. Rousseff remains popular and most analysts still expect her to win reelection next year, as she’s still polling more than three times ahead of her closest opponent. The protests, after all, also appear directed at opposition controlled state and city governments. Yet, as president, they are taking a toll on Ms. Rousseff, who was elected in 2010, when Brazil’s economy grew 7.5%. She had an enormous opportunity to build on that growth, which the government had fueled through a heavy dose of fiscal and monetary stimulus in reaction to the global financial crisis. But the money was directed in no small measure toward social welfare programs, pensions and other types of subsidies for consumption that weren’t reduced following the recovery. That, in turn, fueled inflation that is now running at the 6.5% upper end of the official tolerance range, even as economic growth this year is expected to clock at a subpar 2.5%, following a sorry 0.9% expansion last year. Although Brazil’s labor market remains strong, a growing sense of angst stemming from the current stagflation and purchasing power erosion has set in, particularly among the middle class who benefit less than the poor from the social welfare programs. Citing data from the Datafolha polling institute, the Wall Street Journal’s Tom Murphy and Rogerio Jelmayer reported that most protesters in Sao Paulo were between 26 and 35 years old, “and were informed about the gatherings via Facebook.” Another notable point in the data: 84% were unaffiliated with a political party.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:23:13 +0000
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