BRAZIL
Written by ANEL, UJR, JSOL, Juntos, Domínio Público, RUA, Construção
Friday, 09 May 2014 20:54
We, fighters of the social movement and of the youth from different traditions, regions and organizations have signed this initiative as a way to broaden the street mobilizations, on the eve of the FIFA World Cup. Brazil has been getting ready to welcome the World Cup.
The exorbitant spending denounces the contradiction between a Brazil of the World Cup and a Brazil of the Brazilians. The contradiction of having a country showing the high FIFA Standard to meet the interests of bankers and construction companies clashes with the precarious condition of health, education, transport and housing.
We are aware that the money spent might well be invested in health and education. Nine workers have already died in accidents in the works of the World Cup due to appalling working conditions in the arenas construction that will serve the mega event.
To ensure the World Cup for the powerful investors and to prevent demonstrations the government continues strengthening its policy of “security” that goes from the Anti-Terrorism Act to partnerships with CIA and FBI: a violation of our sovereignty. Fighting is not a crime and whoever fights is not a terrorist.
The strikes that erupt from north to south of the country show that only the mobilizations will guarantee our victory. The victory of transport workers of Porto Alegre, the street sweepers in Rio de Janeiro and ABC region (São Paulo state) and workers from big contractors are part of this new moment. The movement for affordable housing faces the government’s authoritarianism and the greed of the real estate speculation mafias. It is necessary that these struggles find a unitary space so that they can be strengthened.
Is necessary to fight, it is possible to win
In the youth movement, the UNE major leadership – Union of Socialist Youth (UJS) – intends to defend, at any cost, the mega event and serves as a container of the government crisis. The new generation of young fighters is in the street demonstrations, in the strikes together with the workers and fighting against the trade union bureaucracy. It was a shame the meeting of some student sectors, led by Virginia Barros and Barbara Mello, presidents of UNE and UBES, respectively, with Dilma Rousseff in order to “stifle” the demonstrations. s well as it’s shameful the UNE’s adhesion to the FIFA volunteering working campaign.
Just now, the youth at several universities, schools and neighborhoods organize victorious fights, support the strikes of educators and administrative staff in education. The win of these fights can take to a new level of the social movement and of the defense of the demands.
After the June days, the 15M
The new calls for passage. The youth who in June was on the streets defeating the bus fare increase, who is in the streets questioning the expenditures of the World Cup connected with the social demonstrations in progress, calls all the youth to participate in the 15M.
Several militant sectors are boosting the events scheduled for this date. Originally branded as the World Day Against the World Cup Removals, the 15M has been driven by several national articulations: the World Cup Popular Committees, the Trade Union Meeting of Unity and Action, “In the World Cup there will be fight”, national and regional groups as well as social movements.
It is a day to unify our struggle together with the workers struggle and the social movements, it is a day to fight for our rights and to send FIFA back home.
To build up a strong day of struggles with democratic and participative methods
One of the strongest legacies of the June days was the rejection of the old structures and the vertical organization of the movement. We share this view and think that the 15M should be built into every school, work and housing places, starting by meetings, having each phase widely discussed in a democratic and horizontal way. It is also fundamental to combine the local demands with the general struggles. Our calling is to build up a national act, with wide visibility and able to drive new fights ahead.
Get ready! It’s time for the youth!
Let’s color the streets with our fighting spirit and boldness. We want to fight for our rights. To this end, we advocate direct and concrete banners which can make out our unity within such diversity.
# Support for the fights. Support for the student struggles. Support for the workers’ strikes. Support for the occupation of land and for housing.
# No to repression. End the anti-protest laws. Audit in the contracts with companies and in the security spending in the World Cup. End of the agreement with the U.S. and the FBI. End of investigations against the fighters. End of the monitoring of social movements by the ABIN and the intelligence apparatus, spoils of the military dictatorship. Against the militarization of the host cities.
# FIFA GO HOME. Against FIFA interference. Review of contracts with the major contractors such as Odebretch and Camargo Correa. Reversal of the World Cup expenses for the education, health, transportation and housing sectors.
Come to the streets! This changes the game!