S|CON 2016 News Blog

In Brazil, the Streets Simmer as the Government Teeters on the Brink

Reuters

As the Rio de Janeiro opening ceremonies approach, the Brazilian political situation remains unstable, as the Temer administration continues to grapple for legitimacy and protesters cause disruptions across the country.

President Dilma Rousseff was impeached in late Spring of this year, following accusations of the release of misleading financial information concerning the state of Brazil’s deficit.

She was replaced by Michel Temer, a member of the centrist PMDB party, which joined in a coalition with Rousseff’s Worker’s Party.

Many cabinet appointments by the Temer administration, including those of the ministry of health, have also changed leadership multiple times, as the Temer administration fights to find viable replacements for Rousseff cabinet appointments.

Temer has also faced criticism for his originally appointed all white, male cabinet.

The Temer administration is facing heated opposition in the Brazilian legislature, particularly by a coalition around the Social Democrat Party (PSDB), led by Senator Aecio Neves, president of PSDB.

Whatever trouble faced by the Temer administration in the legislature is overshadowed by opposition on the ground, however.

Over the past two months, major cities in Brazil have been reduced to standstills dozens of times, as protesters with a plethora of complaints have taken to the streets in Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, and elsewhere.

In Rio de Janeiro, riot police have been deployed nearly daily to prevent protesters from disrupting preparations for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Activists have a wide variety of reason to take to the streets.

Many complain of the failures of the Temer administration to stop the spread of the Zika virus, which has grown worse despite the ending of mosquito season.

Unemployment, the rising cost of commodities, and rampant government spending are also commonly cited causes for unrest.

Additionally, the so called Petrobras scandal, which centers around corruption within the state owned petroleum corporation, continues to approach members of the Brazilian government, including staff positions close to President Temer.

As the opening ceremonies grow closer, many questions about the viability of the Temer administration remain, and how the government will weather the global spotlight brought by the Olympics remains to be seen.