Several news on the people’s struggle in Brazil
Featured image: Road blockade in Almeida. Source: AND
The democratic newspaper A Nova Democracia reported on August 10th and 11th about several solidarity actions done by activist and popular organizations with peasants of Barra do Corda. These peasants have been persecuted and murdered by armed militias. That is why different organizations, as the Support Committee with the Struggle for Land (Comsulute) among others, lawyers, journalist, teachers, students and other workers made a mission to break the siege against the community of São Francisco, slandered at by the mainstream press and confronted with white terror promoted by the latifundium. In the statement of Comsolute the Kanela indigenous peasants denounce that in addition to stealing their land, the latifundium directly attack the peasants.
Comsolute‘s poster. Source: AND
Different protests against the government due to the lack of the promised aids after the huge floods that occur in Rio Grande do Sul took place. Three months after the huge floods, where 190 people died due to the bad management of the government, the people has still not received the necessary aids to start the re-construction.
On August 12th, the residents of Almeida blocked the highway and set tires and other materials on fire demanding the aid for the reconstruction to be paid. Moreover, that same day another protest in front of the headquarter of the press monopoly RBS took place, to put the attention of the press on the news. The protests took place during a visit of Lula in the State, and his lack of action, together with the lack of action of the local governments, were denounced.
Road blockade in Almeida. Source: AND
On August 16th protests were made in Porto Alegre, also for the lack of aids after three months. The neighborhoods which were most harshly affected, Arquipélago and Farrapos, participated in the protests.
Road blockade in Porto Alegre. Source: AND
Also, other actions took place in Porto Alegre. On August 14th, students organized an event against the attacks against the students’ right and public education. In this event the reduction of aids of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul after the floods, the cuts in education and other attacks of the federal government were denounced. In addition the contrast between the transfer of money to the big latifundium with the “Safra Plan” (400 billions Reais, almost 75 billion USD) and the fund guaranteed to the military was mentioned. After that, they marched to the traditional popular mobilization place, where they received the support of the residents.
Students of Porto Alegre in struggle. Source: AND
The students of the State University of Rio de Janeiro (Uerj) protested against the aggressions and persecution done by the rectory. On August 15th, a day before a measure that would take away the aids to more than 6,000 students started, students occupied the main building of the institution. The eviction order was made by the rectory. While the rector incentives the guards to make more repression while he made jokes on the students, the students resisted the physical violence.
For this reason, students decided to go out from that building and occupy the rectory, what provoked outrage to the rector, who tried to confront students and university workers. However, it did not have effect because the Union of Municipal Security Guards of Rio de Janeiro published a note rejecting repressing the students.
Students of Rio de Janeiro in struggle. Source: AND
On August 1st, workers of the National Social Security Institute (INSS) of Amazonas started a strike for higher salaries, which have not been increased since 2015. An meeting was held with the Federal Government on July 31st, but no solution was reached. It was estimated that 60% of the workers followed the strike.
Workers of INSS in strike. Source: AND
That same day, on July 31st, workers of the Federal Hospital of Bonsucesso (HFB) approved the continuation of the strike, which lasts for 75 days. One of the reasons is to struggle against giving the hospital to Hospitalario Conceição Group. A “massive campaign to denounce the betrayal of the agreements” done by Lula during his electoral campaign in 2022 took also place. Lula promised to “re-build the public health services”. There are more privatization processes that are taking place.
Workers of HFB in strike. Source: AND