Opinion: Brazil and the Fight Against the Pit Viper’s Party

An inflatable doll known as “Pixuleco” of Brazil’s former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is seen during a protest against Rousseff, part of nationwide protests calling for her impeachment. Photograph: Paulo Whitaker/Reuters

Written by Celso P. Santos exclusively for SouthFront; Edited by Rachel Lane

Having collected throughout the day, about 6 million participants in Brazil’s major cities, the protests on March 13 against the government of Dilma Rousseff, former President Lula and the Worker´s Party(PT) consisted of the greatest political demonstration ever recorded in history. This demonstration even surpassing the size of rallies by Elections Direct in 1984. This impressive Brazilian contingent converged on the streets, peacefully, humorous and eloquent in a final act of rejection.

March 13 pointed the way in absolute unquestionable clarity: ENOUGH! The government Dilma fell taking with it the infamous PT power cycle, after years of having supported the creeping populism.  However, it did have shining moments. For instance, in the momentum of a favorable environment for commodity prices, but then the PT sank Brazil into the current crisis: political, economic and moral turmoil. This process, accelerated, on one hand, the sea of ​​mud that emerged with the Operação Lava Jato and its supporters of like-mind, and secondly, the unbelievable political incompetence coupled with managerial ineptness of Dilma Rousseff. It now remains to be formalize, with strict observance of constitutional precepts enacted on the streets. The next step, fix the institutions that have been soiled by the criminal gang and restore the country on a path of sustainable growth and social justice.

Rejection turns not only against a government sunk in administrative incompetence, economic crisis and personal arrogance of its members, but to a political model grounded in ideological mystification and fueled by corruption. The big question: what will the PT be thinking after such a demonstration across the country against Lula, Dilma and the party?

While I haven´t a crystal ball, it is not difficult to have an idea of what is going on in the heads of PT leadership. The PT is a cult. It has always been a cult. And the essential feature of every cult is hate. This cult gathered its entourage of fanatic followers among much of the Brazilian intelligentsia. The PT enlisting teachers, journalists, intellectuals, scientists and students, and of course, the shock squad of professional militants.

I would make a bet with you, the PT is not worried about what happened in Brazil this March 13. Rather the PT are concerned about the possible loss of allied parties at its base, with the increased risk of impeachment, and bleeding paralysis of the government. This is a living nightmare. They must be pissing in their pants. They should wake up sweating, with the taste of the food chain in their mouths, or the strange feeling of waking up naked, unmasked and left quivering as a lamb used as bait for wolves. But for the PT and its bipolar conception of reality, the situation can be summed up in one simple statement: “us against them”.

A Giant Corruption Machine – The target “Operação Lava Jato” phase 24.

Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his institute received $ 10 million dollars between 2011 and 2014. The contractors investigated in this corruption scheme is Petrobras State Oil Company. For the Federal Public Ministry, there is clear evidence that Lula received money diverted from the state.

The Public Ministry of São Paulo denounced to justice, on March 9, Lula’s former president for forgery crimes and money laundering in the purchase of a luxury triplex apartment in the seaside town of Guaruja, a municipality of São Paulo, and a farm in Atibaia, in the same municipality. According to the prosecution, the former president and his family received undue advantage of large contractors, including payment reforms in the two properties. Prosecutors say the buildings are owned by the former president, who denies being the owner.

Ten days ago, after forceful testimony to the Federal Police, Lula’s former president made an angry speech against this whole legal process, including the rejection and harm that PT has caused to most of the population. Lula has referred to himself as a Jararaca, a type of poisonous snake found in Brazil. This metaphor is appropriate and we should take heed of its serious manner.

The PT today remains a cult, but no longer a cult of deceptive hope, now the cult of the poisonous snake. The venom is still deadly, and he strikes with precision at a population he does not like. The essence of this poisonous snake cult, the PT, is precisely their indifference to Brazil and its common population, which runs contrary to the populist discourse which bewitched the country for decades.

Popular sovereignty, the basis of democracy, visibly demonstrated during protests that no longer recognize President Dilma, someone who does not deserve trust whether ethical, political or technical. In addition, popular sovereignty chose the Ministry of Justice over the snake. But all this matters little to the cult of the snake.

Already on the eve of the protests, the PMDB, the main party ally, signaled its convention in its departure from the parliamentary base precariously supported by the government. Typical, the party has not abandoned the positions it enjoys in the ministries, but decided to expel any members who eventually accept new jobs in the first step of the Executive.

It is hard to imagine the possible outcomes, or even minimally acceptable outcomes relating to the entire population, even if there are still the strategists of the PT and the federal government. In 14 years of government, PT created a powerful and ubiquitous corruption machine to fund its power project. The last few days have aggravated the Dilma situation. If there are, beginning at the second presidential term, numerous reasons for the popular indignation, evidence has gained new more serious signs, of moral and administrative corrosion in ruling circles.

Seeking a New Direction

The Workers’ Party has no elegance in the face of defeat. This has nothing to do with the fact that most of the PT militants are social climbers, focused in keeping their positions in trade unions and the state apparatus, rather instead their clumsiness is a behavior that cuts across all social classes in a democratic way. Even if they strangle the country, leading us into absolute misery, the PT will continue to try and mobilize their snake cult of followers organizing, focusing, preventing the populace from participating in street demonstrations by all means at their disposal.

This poison in its classical form was the systematic corruption and mental retardation in the economy leading Brazil’s people into a subsistence existence. Some say the grass leftist populism takes a long time to flourish again, but in its current form, this poison is his attempt, to remain in power regardless of the huge costs to the country.  To the people suffering from these results, he will offer no more than the sinister smile of the snake.

Nothing in this legal process has been more decisive than the revelation of links between former President Lula and the main contractors involved in Operação Lava Jato. Attempts to mystify the public as to the nature of the scandal, cleverly staged by PT leaders have not been successful, except for the usual blindness of militancy. Still the effect has been to accentuate the widespread desire to protest.

The PT theory about the movement against corruption was only to express the dissatisfaction of parties and leaders defeated in the last presidential elections, has failed. Opponents of the PSDB Aécio Neves and Geraldo Alckmin were severely harassed and booed by demonstrators – including by me – they did not stay at the podium.

The acts exceeded the most pessimistic forecasts of Brasilia. Despite its size and strength, the country remains divided and in crisis. It is urgent to overcome this crisis one way or another. President Dilma Rousseff agreed to offer a post of Minister for Lula so   that he can avoid being arrested in Operação Lava Jato by a decision of the Federal Judge Sergio Moro. Circle supporters near the former president made ​​a major operation this week to convince him to accept the offer. Within the government, there are strong fears that justice may lead Lula to prison.

We live in fascinating days from here on. Prepare you hearts for turbulence. Those with weaker souls may be afraid, but it’s times like these that virtues such as courage and discipline are required. Cowards and the undecided will probably be paralyzed. Beware, the small snakes released on our streets, spitting their venom of speech to those who would be victimized by the elite. Hard to imagine an executive of contractors or banks represents the bulk of the population, as that same population sees their lives going down the drain.

But remember that most of this sect of small snakes inhabit the public thought, and they are shocked that not every one of the intelligentsia fear or belongs to them. I even think sometimes these snakes cannot understand that much of the country no longer sees them as saviors’ pristine virgins. Lula and Dilma are nothing, empty vessels. The PT is a nothing. They all belong of the past and all of them will stay in the pages of history as a resounding failure. In the end, there will remain only some crazy snakes, with no venom, lost and running through the streets of stone jungles.