Brazil « Dr Alf's Blog



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In this excellent article, the Guardian reports that with Dilma Rousseff out, many doubt that the all-male, mostly white cabinet taking over can unite one of the world’s most ethnically diverse nations.

Source: ‘A lot of testosterone and little pigment’: Brazil’s old elite deals a blow to diversity | World news | The Guardian

I’m not an expert on Brazil but, as an outsider, I see that the risks are immense. In an earlier blog, I suggested that people power will prevail and the impeachment will become a side show.

I’m old enough to remember Brazil’s hyper inflation of the seventies and eighties. Doing business with Brazil, or indeed in Brazil, was very high risk.

The new government will struggle to exert its will.

It will be interesting to see Brazil’s version of populism. I wonder if there will there be a multiracial Brazilian Trump?

Thoughts?

English: Portrait of President of Brazil, Mrs. Dilma Rousseff by cartoonist Carlos Latuff. Português: Retrato da presidente do Brasil, Sra. Dilma Rousseff pelo cartunista Carlos Latuff. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The BBC reports that Brazil‘s suspended President Rousseff attacks the new government for being entirely made up of white male politicians.

Source: Brazil impeachment: Rousseff attacks cabinet for being all-male and all-white – BBC News

This is an amazing story.

It’s a very high risk strategy for Brazil to impeach President Rousseff, and replace her government with one composed of all-male all white conservatives. The context is that the Brazilian economy is in crisis. I can envision that the new neoliberal government will be strong on austerity and place welfare programs last on the priority list.

Ultimately, it will be down to the Brazilian people to decide how much bitter medicine they can accept. I fear that the impeachment trial will soon become the side show.

Thoughts?