The new Brazil

Raúl Zibechi

Once upon a time, Lula's election in Brazil offered a pretense of hope to the international left. In the midst of a rapidly shifting global economy, Brazil has since emerged as a powerful new player on the geopolitical stage. With three short years of aggressive economic restructuring, Lula embraced the legacy of the country's oligarchic past, paying off huge IMF loans years ahead of schedule and placing Brazil at the center of political and economic power in the region. Brazil is now the poster child for neoliberal capitalism. Within its borders, vast inequities in wealth and access to social services still exist -- a striking contrast to the nation's newfound prestige in world politics. At the same time, unrest is growing. Small protests against the costs of public transportation have grown to mass demonstrations that question the very foundations of capital and the state in Brazil....