Lula, Dilma and Brazil sink deeper into the hole

WIth no clear leadership, no public confidence on the country’s institutions or its leaders, Brazil seems to be getting deeper and deeper into a political and economic hole. However, in the middle of all the mud, there is still the ocassional joke to lighten up the mood. The last one was that Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is now considering a new presidential run in 2018. Sadly for Lula, the Worker’s Party (PT) and their faithful followers, the polls do not provide a bright future. Yes, only six months after Dilma began her second administration, there are polls measuring public interest in the 2018 elections. Something does not work well, at least for Dilma, Lula and the PT, when the former President confesses to a religious group that he, the President Dilma Rousseff and her party (PT) are at the “bottom of the well”. Before reaching six months of her second term, Rousseff appears, in effect, with 65% of popular rejection. That rejection now comes from practically all regions of the country and includes people from all walks of life. Neither Lula nor Dilma seem to remember when was the last time they gave good news to the citizens. He says he asked the President and “she did not remember.” Neither did PT senators, Representatives or Union leaders. Dilma is criticized for having promised in the election campaign something she did not do afterwards. Lula says that there is something that is held as sacred in Brazil, and that is the rights of the workers. Dilma herself said so during the campaign, but later changed her mind. “I never will touch the rights of workers,” she promised. Lula criticized Dilma because only “fine people” visit Dilma’s Presidential office, which has promoted criticism against Dilma and the government because it seems she abandoned the poor. Not too long after ending his speech with religious leaders, Lula learned about the latest poll results that provided evidence of the collapse of the PT, Dilma and even Lula himself should he decide to run for office again. According to the latest numbers, if elections were held today, the opposition leader from PSDB, Aecio Neves, who ran against Rousseff last year, would win the election. Neves would also defeat Lula by a margin of ten points. The reasons for these very adverse data are to be found on several fronts: first and foremost there is the economy. The country is embroiled in a crisis that affects consumption, investment and unemployment. Government forecasts that the Brazilian GDP will increase by a meager 1.2% this year, while senior ministers say the economic recovery will begin to be felt in the fourth quarter. Ordinary citizen are much more pessimistic. According to the same survey, the majority of Brazilians are convinced that the economic situation, unemployment and inflation will be much worse in the coming months. Even Lula and Rousseff recently referred to the absolute lack of popularity of the government. As if that were not enough, there is still a threat that has befallen on the former leader, and that could bounce on President Rousseff. During the last phase of arrests related to the corruption plot at Petrobras, authorities caught one of the most powerful businessmen in the country, Marcelo Odebrecht, President of the Odebrecht construction company, the largest company in the sector in Brazil and one of the largest in Latin America. Marcelo Odebrecht, a personal friend of Lula, is in jail, accused of bribing officials of the oil company to reach agreements that would favor Odebrecht. Lula has traveled to many countries as a businessman using his influence and contacts to open markets for the construction company. Brazilian media says the arrest of Odebrecht narrows the fence around Lula. Some also note that Odebrecht keeps confidential information that can be staggering for the reputation of the former president and that could bounce right on Dilma’s shoulders. Read the rest below at the source link