Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians, mostly young people, are in the streets to demand the reduction of the absurd buses fares and a free pass. Public transport in our country is of poor quality, though it is one of the most expensive in the world. So 37 million Brazilians are forced to walk because they do not have money to pay the fare.
But this does not happen by chance.
Public transport has been privatized. In all major cities a small number of wealthy families are owners of bus companies. The rulers take bribes from these entrepreneurs and, in turn, increase the fares every year, often more than the rate of inflation, leaving the population to the greed of these sharks. This minority, besides realizing super profits from the high fares, receive subsidies from the municipalities and governments. Therefore, the solution is nationalization of public transport.
But the people are also suffering from the dismantling of the Unified Health Care System (SUS), with a mafia of health plans, with teachers receiving low salaries and education being transformed into a commodity.
In the countryside, monopolies steal the land of the indigenous peoples and peasants to export soybeans, while there is a lack of food on the workers’ tables. More than that, our oil is being auctioned to the multinationals in exchange for crumbs.
When the people go into the streets to demand their rights, the governments say there is no money and sends the Shocks Battalions to throw bombs and shoot at the protesters.
However, to meet the interests of FIFA [International Federation of Soccer Association], the federal government has spent billions to build and renovate stadiums. In addition, the Government also uses public money to pay the interest on the debt, enriching speculators, to ensure subsidies to automakers and rescue failed banks, such as the Pan American millionaire Silvio Santos, or the company OGX of the playboy Eike Batista.
For the workers only crumbs are left. Brazil has one of the lowest minimum wages in Latin America, while the capitalist bosses earn fortunes.
The major media of the bourgeoisie, headed by Globo, are also responsible for this situation because they supported the military dictatorship that tortured and killed hundreds of Brazilian revolutionaries and spread corruption throughout Brazil. Globo also supported Collor, the military coup in Honduras, the imperialist wars against Iraq and Afghanistan, it wants Brazil to become the U.S. back yard and defends the repression against the popular movement. Incidentally, alongside FIFA, Rede Globo is the is the one that makes the most from the Confederations Cup and the World Cup. Therefore, it is urgent to democratize the media.
The fact is that the bourgeoisie, the capitalist class, takes possession of all the riches produced by society, while most of the people survive on almost nothing, live in slums or rental housing. When it rains, they lose what little they have, and many lose their lives.
Also because of this failed system, over 200 million workers are unemployed worldwide, of whom 75 million are youths.
The truth is that no one will free the people if they do not fight themselves. To change this situation, the solution is, therefore, to fight and not bow one’s head to the powerful. Without struggle there is no revolution and with no revolution there is no transformation! The PCR is struggling for a popular revolution and socialism!
Enough of the exploitation by the bosses and of abuses against the people!
We demand our rights!
The people are not stupid! Down with Globo!
Nationalization of public transport now!
June 2013
Revolutionary Communist Party (PCR)