The Troubled Reality of Brazil

by Dermot Hudson

In December 2024 I paid my fourth visit to Brazil . Brazil is often portrayed as a glamorous paradise with bright  sunshine , beautiful beaches , majestic scenery and constant partying . However this image hides the troubled realities of Brazil – a country with a complex history which included one or possibly two periods of fascist rule (the initial period of the rule of Getulio Vargas and the Brazilian military dictatorship 1964-1985) and which still has much poverty and infrastructure problems (passenger railways are rare in Brazil ). Brazil also has a significant communist and leftist movement but sadly it is very fragmented and deeply split . Brazilian social democracy itself is not represented by simply one party but but by several ; the Workers Party of President Lula (PT ) , the Democratic Labour Party (PDT ) , the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB40) , the Social Democratic Party (PSDB) and also the semi-Trotskyite Party of Socialism and Liberty .
The glamorous image of Brazil is belied by scores of favela slums in cities like Sao Paulo and Rio De Janeiro. It was pointed out to me that a favela on a mountainside was visible from the beach at Copacabana in Rio De Janeiro. Since my last visit three years ago the far right government of Bolsonaro has been replaced by a PT-led coalition led by the veteran Lula himself, a former trade unionist and metal worker .The government is a coalition consisting of the PT, the PSB, the  communist PCdoB and the Greens. Lula's coalition had won a narrow victory over Bolsonaro in October 2022 but in January 2023 when Lula was due to be sworn in as President , the Bolsonaristas attempted a coup. On the 8th January 2023 , hordes Bolosonaro supporters tried to storm the Brazilian Congress and Supreme Court .In some parts of the country roads were blocked and buses were set on fire. The Bolsonaristas  hoped to get support from the armed forces but the armed troops either stood to one side or supported Lula. The Bolsonaristas riot evoked the precedent of Trump's supporters trying to storm the White House. It also had a much deeper significance than that .The Bolsonaristas hoped that the military would support them and stage a coup in their support, a repeat of the 1964 military coup against the reformist Goulart government . Bolsonaro himself had broken the post military dictatorship consensus by openly praising the Brazilian military fascist regime of the 60s and 70s, something that was for a long time regarded as No No by Brazilian politicians of all hues.
The present PT led coalition government is the 3rd Lula government and the 4th PT led government in Brazil. On this visit to Brazil, I did not witness starving people begging to bought food but I was told that this was still going on with some people pleading with shoppers to buy something for them. I also noticed homeless people living under motorway bridges. The favelas still exist and are very much present in the big cities. In Sao Paulo there is a right wing municipal administration which is trying to purge the homeless from the centre of Sao Paulo and bus and metro fares have been increased. Prices have gone up a lot since 2021, for example 500g of coffee now costs 26 Brazilian reals but in 2021 it was 18 reals and 10 reals a few years before that. Brazil is faced with a currency declining in value and budgetary deficit problems.
Internationally Lula has not supported the US-led imperialist condemnation of Russia but he has opposed Venezuela's accession to the BRICS bloc. Lula has taken an anti-Venezuela line and the Brazilian media is saturated with anti-Venezuela, anti Maduro propaganda.
Arguably despite several periods of administration lasting about 16 years , Lula and the PT have achieved little and less than the 'pink-brown ' reformist regime of Getulio Vargas (who nationalised industries and created the giant PetroBras petroleum corporation)  and the reformist regime of Joao Goulart .There is much disillusionment among PT voters and supporters . I was told that because Lula is "so useless" , the Bolsonaristas will be back at the next election . In Brazil as in many European countries the Left's espousal of trendy identity politics and liberalism  have switched off working class voters and built up a barrier between the Left and the working class , leading to workers turning to the right and far right .
Brazil is a country that has many supporters of People's Korea despite hostile media propaganda against the DPRK as well as the influence of the south Korean puppets in Brazil through K-pop music and garbage soap operas. In Brazil supporters of People's Korea are organised in the Korean Friendship Association (KFA) of Brazil , part of the worldwide Korean Friendship Association as well as the Brazilian Centre for the Study of Songun Politics(CEPS-BR)  and Brazilian Centre for the Study of the Juche Idea . I was able to meet the head of the KFA Brazil in Rio De Janeiro and a representative of CEPS -BR in Sao Paulo. Both organisations said that they were gaining new members and expanding their work .
All in all it was an interesting trip to Brazil. Brazil faces a difficult road ahead and it is not clear what direction Brazil will take in the future.
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Life in the Balance

by John Maryon

Biodiversity refers to the total variety of all different life forms found in one location. Animals, aquatic life, plants, fungi and microorganisms flourishing together where conditions are suitable. Species may have a mutual dependence upon each other. It could be a simple relationship such as squirrels burying nuts for food which are forgotten and grow into trees. It could be a symbiotic association in which one species could live within another. It could also take the form a predatory relationship.
    A good healthy environment is essential for nature to survive. Human activity that includes over fishing, forest clearance, pollution of water sources, causing climate change and intensive farming is having a negative impact on biodiversity round the world. A result has been that global populations of birds, fish, animals, reptiles and amphibians have declined by an average of 70 per cent over the past 50 years.
    I would like to examine some of the most serious threats and also to highlight a number of successful projects to restore habits . A crucial factor is the vast increase in the human population. However a major driving force to destruction is the desire for greater profits which has caused many species to disappear and led to bleak barren landscapes replacing once lush areas of vegetation. Many conferences have been held over the years at which grand promises are made to save the planet. Leaders have posed for photos and then returned home and nothing changes.
    The vibrant Amazon ecosystem, regarded by some as the lungs of the planet, is home to over three million different species. It is estimated that over 100 billion tons of carbon are stored in the Amazon basin which is is an important source of oxygen. Between August 2018 and July 2019 alone over 3800 square miles of forest were destroyed. Newly elected President Lula da Silva of Brazil has named Marina Silva as the new minister to protect the forest and reverse the disastrous policies of right wing President Bolsonaro. Trees were felled for timber or to clear the land for agricultural use with the risk of pesticides leaking into the environment. Mines were developed with the inherent danger of toxic contamination. The beautiful Blue Macaw is just one of many beautiful birds facing extinction. Indigenous communities who had lived in harmony with their environment for thousands of years were displaced.
    In another part of the world the tropical forests of Borneo and Sumatra faced the same fate. Oil palm plantations are a serious cause of deforestation in Borneo. The large island was once covered with dense rain-forest. Today only half of that primeval forest remains. Te4bn primate species, found nowhere else in the world, live in upland regions of the island. The orangutans are critically endangered due to degradation and fragmentation of their home environment. Monkeys and apes are in peril in many countries. I once saw a video of a a terrified baby orangutan clinging on to its mother as she held tightly to the last standing tree in an area that was being cleared.
    The cruel barbaric practice of hunting, egg stealing and overfishing all have a negative impact on biodiversity. It is not only those creatures themselves that are affected but also other species that coexist with them that may suffer. Overfishing for profit led to the collapse of herring stocks in the North Sea; they have never fully recovered. As fish stocks fall sea birds will be unable to find enough food. Over a third of the world's oceans are currently over-fished.
    Man made disasters due to ignorance, greed or careless action are serious matters. Oil spills can be fatal. The introduction of alien species can have a tragic impact on indigenous creatures. In New Zealand many creatures were wiped out when European settlers brought cats and dogs to the islands. Unintended introduction of non native plants to the British Isles has occurred when seeds have blown off lorries. leaving ports. Creatures may hide in containers or even suitcases to leap out and start a new life when they arrive.
    Today there is at last a growing acceptance that we have a problem. In Britain many keen volunteers, in the absence of much direct government involvement, have become involved in protecting wildlife. Organisations such as the Wildlife and Woodland trusts, the RSPB, the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and many more are playing a vital role.
    At a government level the socialist countries now have a keen commitment to conservation and environmental protection. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, in spite of crippling sanctions, threats, blockades, and a destructive war unleashed by US imperialism managed to establish a network of national parks and protected areas rich in biodiversity. Severe tree loss is being addressed with government supported tree planting events. The national bird of the DPRK is the northern goshawk. On the west coast the Mundox Migratory Bird Reserve is a vital stopover for hundreds of species. Land reclamation projects are developed so as to allow for the needs of the birds.
    Laos is a small land locked Asian country that is still relatively underdeveloped. It is home to Asian elephants, pot-bellied pigs, tigers, rhinos and over 10,000 plant species. The socialist government is working to overcome centuries of poverty and is encouraging industrial production which could put pressure on the environment. However a national protected area system is being established to counter any threats. These areas, which are expanding, are of great beauty and inspire those who visit them. Much of the country is still covered in its natural forest. Laos faces challenges typical of developing countries and I feel that the developed world has a responsibility to support protection efforts.
    Vietnam is rich in wildlife and has the highest number of marine species in Asia. It faces challenges as the population increases and the country develops. The difficulties are, as in Laos, made more acute by unexploded bombs and the after-effects of the deadly toxin 'Agent Orange' following its use during the brutal aggression of US imperialism. The government is not complacent and has adopted a National Biodiversity Action Plan. During the period 1990-2006 ten per cent of forest area was restored.
    In spite of crippling sanctions Cuba is determined to protect its biodiversity. The archipelago of over 4000 islands has a vast range of habitats. The UN 2016 Human Development Report revealed that Cuba was one of a few countries able to improve the well-being of its people while developing in a sustainable manner. Cuba's position owes much to Fidel Castro who amended the constitution to include environmental protection
    The People's Republic of China has become a world leader in protecting the environment and encouraging biodiversity. It has overcome the pollution problems associated with its rapid industrial development to set new standards . At the recent COP 15 (15th International conference on Biodiversity) China chaired the meeting and was able to inject vitality into the proceedings. President Xi Jinping called upon the international community to jointly respond to climate change and biodiversity loss.
    Xi said China will do its best to assist and support developing countries through the Belt and Road Initiative. He announced an initiative to invest 1.5 billion yuan to support biodiversity in developing countries.
    China's progress in recent years has been remarkable. Large canals have been built to carry water to create vast lakes in desert regions. The people’s government has established a number of national parks and protection areas including Hainan Tropical Rainforest Park and Giant Panda Park. In the past 40 years the number of giant pandas living in the wild has increased from 1,114 to1,864.
    Conservation efforts have seen the number of crested ibises increase from only 7 to over 5,000 while the world's rarest and most endangered primate, the Hainan gibbon, has risen to at least 36 from under 10.
    Last year a herd of, now famous, elephants set out from the rain forests of Yunnan province moving through valleys, field, hills, crossed rivers and walked through villages. For 124 days they progressed some1400 km. They won the hearts of millions who watched their progress. The event highlighted the responsibility of living with wildlife, the care of ordinary people and the need for wildlife corridors.
    Biodiversity is an essential foundation of nature. The amazing variety of life ranging from colourful fish, beautiful flowers, bright butterflies, tall majestic trees and herds of graceful animals is simply fantastic . Let us protect our wonderful natural heritage for future generations to enjoy.
    

Solidarity with the people of Brazil

20th  International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties

  Joint statement and appeal (PCB and PCdoB)

The Brazilian Communist Party - PCB - and the Communist Party of Brazil - PCdoB - greet all the communist and workers' parties and movements participating in the 20th IMCWP and present the comrades and fellows the following joint appeal: 

Comrades, 

The new conjuncture in Brazil after the election of Jair Bolsonaro to the Presidency of the Republic brings concerns and requires that the revolutionary and leftist parties, social movements and progressive forces in general implement organized actions of resistance, solidarity and struggle against the threats of political setbacks, in various areas, intimidation and even aggression against militants and activists, which are characteristics of the fascist and reactionary elements that conform the political bloc supporting the new government. In the Congress, bills are being promoted to persecute the communist parties and ban the defense and dissemination of communism's ideals and symbols.  

It is necessary and urgent to form and consolidate a democratic and anti-fascist front, which was already kickstarted, in public demonstrations held throughout the campaign in the elections' second round, around the candidacy of Fernando Haddad. This front shall not only publicly denounce all and any type of aggression and bring the aggressors to justice, but also hold various actions to face the new political framework, on the streets and in the institutional field, promoting the solidarity between the forces that oppose the new government.  

This struggle requires, at this point in time, the solidarity and unity of action between the communist forces in Brazil and also the militant solidarity in the international realm. Therefore, the Brazilian Communist Party - PCB - and the Communist Party of Brazil - PCdoB - will act jointly and in solidarity in this struggle and ask that all the communist and workers' party participating in this 20th International Meeting be vigilant and mobilized for the militant support that the conjuncture demands. 

Athens, 24th of November, 2018

1. Algerian Party for Democracy and Socialism
2. Communist Party of Bangladesh
3. Communist Party of Belgium
4. Brazilian Communist Party - PCB
5. Communist Party of Brazil – PcdoB
6. New Communist Party of Britain
7. AKEL, Cyprus
8. Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia
9. Communist Party in Denmark
10. Communist Party of Estonia
11. Communist Party of Finland
12. French Communist Party
13. Unified Communist Party of Georgia
14. Hungarian Workers' Party
15. Tudeh Party of Iran
16. The Worker's Party of Ireland
17. Socialist Movement of Kazakhstan
18. Communist Party of Malta
19. Communist Party of Norway
20. Communist Party of Pakistan
21. Palestinian Communist Party
22. Palestinian People's Party
23. Paraguayan Communist Party
24. Portuguese Communist Party
25. Romanian Socialist Party
26. Communist Party of the Russian Federation
27. Russian Communist Workers' Party ‐ Communist Party of Soviet Union (RCWP‐CPSU)
28. Communist Party of the Soviet Union
29. UCP-CPSU
30. Communists of Serbia
31. Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain
32. Communist Party of Sri Lanka                             
33. Communist Party of Swaziland
34. Sudanese Communist Party
35. Communist Party of Ukraine
36. Communist Party USA