June/2013
José Murilo de Carvalho.
Photo: Divulgação/Companhia das Letras
In the opinion of historian and political scientist José Murilo de Carvalho, the Brazilian people have awoken from a lethargy that had lasted since the impeachment of President Collor and especially since the beginning of the Workers Party’s (PT) rise to power. Politicians and the government are baffled by the uprising.
Carvalho gave an interview to the HCSM blog on the protests taking place in Brazil.
What are the main differences between today’s protests and those that occurred decades ago?
In comparison with the “Elections Now!” and impeachment campaigns, their unpredictability and the diversity of motivations.
Can a diffuse, decentralized movement characterized by multiple causes and displaying different kinds of expressions (peaceful versus violent) be considered a movement, or is this more like a social catharsis?
If we want to be conceptually precise, this would be a popular demonstration, or the middle class crushed between those who have benefitted the most from current economic and social policies – that is, the very rich and the very poor.
How would you assess the reaction of government and political party leaders towards the unexpected emergence of this movement, especially those tied to the PT, which in the past was the vanguard of many protests that took people to the streets?
They’re all baffled, like the rest of the country. The government and members of the PT are uneasy and disoriented, like their acolytes, CUT [Brazil’s largest federated trade union], UNE [National Student Union], and so on. Under the advice of her marketing agent, the president has been opportunistic. Mayors and governors are cowering. Politicians in general, their ears burning, are waiting for it all to end. The opposition has maintained a prudent, cowardly silence.
Can the importance that this moment, or movement, has for the history of Brazil be measured? What should change from here on in?
Ask a prophet. Making any assessment now would be foolhardy.
Do you believe that Brazilians are waking up to their citizenship?
They’ve woken up from a lethargy that has lasted since Collor’s impeachment and especially since the beginning of the Workers Party’s rise to power.
What do you expect to see come out of these protests?
As immediate results, just the revocation of the fare hikes but with the threat of cuts who-knows-where (certainly not the gravy, that is, the perks, the publicity, the surfeit of political appointments, the high salaries), and perhaps the defeat of PEC 37 [Proposed Constitutional Amendment no. 37], the one about impunity. With her drop in prestige, the president might revise her economic policy to better control inflation, with an eye on the election. The discrediting of political parties and politicians in general – and now of worker and student organizations as well – will continue to offer fuel for coming explosions.
A word from the blog: Read José Murilo de Carvalho’s article “Os bordados de João Cândido”
Read more:
Editor experiences history in the streets, by Jaime Benchimol
Why I like Mondays, by Marcelo Badaró
Shaping a collective agenda in the streets, an interview with Angélica Müller
“More than narrating these events, we must live them intensely” – an interview with Valdei Araujo.
Chomsky: “I stand with the protesters of Brazil” – Linguist replies to reporter from Canal Ibase at the Global Media Forum in Bonn.
