Why British progressives say No to the coup in Brazil

As the global spotlight turns to Brazil for the Olympic Games, the people of Brazil are erupting in protest against a power grab orchestrated by a regressive political elite.
Earlier in the year, the right-wing Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) set in a motion a political manoeuvre which if completed would see the Worker’s party ousted for the first time in 14 years.
Masquerading as a move to tackle the growing corruption in the country, Brazil’s lower house voted to impeach president Dilma Rousseff. She was suspended pending an impeachment trial on claims of budgetary manipulation despite never herself being implicated in the corruption investigation.
Interim president Temer took office appointing and quickly set to implementing a series of hard-line neoliberal policies.
Temer himself was barred from running for office due to past electoral fraud convictions, but if the impeachment goes through he will be president until 2018.
This coup was orchestrated to give power to the unelectable. President Dilma has now been cleared of budgetary manipulation from an independent senate review, despite this the impeachments continues. In fact, even with protests taking place across 17 major cities calling for new elections to take place, the prospect of a lasting coup looks as dangerous as ever.
In response to the coup, 115 leading British figures from across society have added their name to the following open letter — now is the time to speak up and show our solidarity.
“We condemn the suspension of President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, which represents a further escalation of attempts from Brazil’s rightwing opposition to overthrow its elected government.
“It is thoroughly wrong that a few parliamentarians trample upon the political will expressed at the ballot box by 54 million Brazilians.
“The new government has shown its true colours by appointing a non-representative, all-male cabinet and launching neoliberal policies, including redundancies in the public sector, that will hurt millions of working and poorer people.
“This is extraordinary since Temer’s interim government has no electoral mandate to implement policies that reverse the social programmes associated with Dilma and Lula’s governments that, among other achievements, took 40 million out of poverty.
“There is also a sustained campaign aimed at discrediting former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in order to stop him running in the next presidential election.
“It is up to the people of Brazil alone to choose their government. We join Brazil’s progressive political and social movements, groups from across global civil society such as the world trade union movement, and governments in the region itself, in condemning this attempt to overthrow democracy in Brazil.”
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The time for change is now at hand. Tony Benn said that there was a major shift in the political configuration every 40 years, pointing to the Attlee government of 1945 and the reforming Liberal government of four decades earlier.
It is a sobering thought that the policies on offer across the mainstream parties today are all well to the right of those operated by the Wilson governments of the 1960s and ’70s.
Corbyn marks the start of the fightback. His opponents in the PLP seem to favour the continuation of the neoliberal project, happy to post up the odd crumb of gain from the rich man’s table.
What is needed is fundamental change across the board to bring policies that serve the many not the few.
Brexit was a cry of anguish from the mass of people against the neoliberal agenda that has brought the unacceptable situation whereby more than 100 billionaires live comfortably, while a million plus people go to foodbanks.
The Brexit vote was directed at those elites which continue to plunder the wealth created by the mass of people.
It is high time that the politicians across the spectrum began to listen to what the people are saying.
Corbyn has begun the process that could lead to the rolling back of the present unjust manner of conducting the economic and political system. Re-electing him as leader provides a mandate for the continuation of this process, which will lead to a more socially just and safer society for all.
Dave Anderson MP, LabourRichard Arkless MP, SNPClaudia Beamish MSP, LabourLord Jeremy Beecham, LabourRichard Burgon MP, LabourRuth Cadbury MP, LabourJim Cunningham MP, LabourMartyn Day MP, SNPNeil Findlay MSP, LabourIain Gray MSP, LabourAndrew Gwynne MP, LabourDavid Hanson MP, LabourKate Hoey MP, LabourKelvin Hopkins MP, LabourDavid Lammy MP, LabourIan Lavery MP, LabourClive Lewis MP, LabourCaroline Lucas MP, GreenIan Lucas MP, LabourAngus MacNeil MP, SNPFiona Mactaggart MP, LabourRachael Maskell MP, LabourStewart McDonald MP, SNPJulie Morgan AM (Welsh Assembly), LabourGrahame Morris MP, Labour John Nicolson MP, SNPLord Martin John O’Neill, LabourJenny Rathbone AM, LabourLiz Saville Roberts AS MP, Plaid CymuTommy Sheppard MP, SNPElaine Smith MSP, LabourKarin Smyth MP, LabourDr Phillipa Whitford MP, SNPTony Burke, assistant general secretary, Unite the UnionManuel Cortes, general secretary, TSSAKevin Courtney, general secretary, NUTLuke Crawley, assistant general secretary, BectuSally Hunt, general secretary, UCUTony  Kearns, senior deputy general secretary, CWURoger McKenzie, assistant general secretary, UnisonGerry Morrissey, general secretary, BectuHugh Scullion, general secretary, CSEUJohn Smith, general secretary, (MU)Owen Tudor, head of EU & international relations, TUCSteve Turner, assistant general secretary, UniteMick Whelan, general secretary, AslefTariq Ali, author & writer Johann Hari, author & journalist John Hendy QC, barrister Ken Livingstone, former mayor of London Michael Mansfield QC, barrister, Queen’s CouncilJean Urquhart, former MSP Benjamin Zephaniah, author & poet Professor Hakim Adi, professor of the history of Africa & African diaspora University of ChichesterDr Mehmet Ali Dikerdem, Institute for Work-Based Learning, Middlesex UniversityProfessor Bill Bowring, barrister & professor, Birkbeck School of Law, University of LondonProfessor Ray Bush, professor of African studies & developmental politics, University of LeedsDr Barry Cannon, Maynooth UniversityProfessor Mike Cole, education & equality, UELDr Michael Derham, Spanish & Latin American studies, Northumbria UniversityDr Francisco Dominguez, head of Latin American studies research group, Middlesex UniversityNeil Fletcher, Hon research associate, UCLProfessor John Gledhill, professor of social anthropology, University of ManchesterProfessor Peter M Hallward, professor of philosophy, Kingston UniversityProfessor Peter Lambert, Latin American studies, University of BathDr Steve Ludlam, politics department, University of SheffieldDr Hazel Marsh, Spanish & Latin American studies, UEAProfessor Susan Michie, director of UCL centre for behaviour change, UCLDr David Raby, University of Liverpool Professor Jonathan Rosenhead, LSEProfessor Alfredo Saad Filho, department of development studies, SoasDr Lee Salter, University of SussexChristine Blower, former general secretary, NUTJohn Cafferty, regional secretary, Yorkshire & Humber UnisonJane Carolan, NEC, UnisonDenis Doody, regional secretary, Northern Region UcattJayne Fisher, vice-chair, Sertuc international committeeJennie Formby, South-east regional secretary, UniteAndy Gilchrist, national education officer, RMTDave Green, national officer, FBUTerry Hoad, past president, UCUSteve Jones, national executive, CWUAndy Kerr, deputy general secretary, CWUAnnemarie Kilcline, East Midlands regional secretary, UniteRoger King, executive member, NUTGerry Looker, Unison East MidlandsMark Lyon, chair of international committee, vice chair of the executive council, UniteCarl Maden, acting assistant secretary, CWUKaren Mitchell, head of legal, RMTAndrew Murray, chief of staff, UniteAndy Richards, Wales regional secretary, UniteKen Rustidge, national executive member, NUTBert Schouwenburg, international officer, GMBJane Stewart, women’s committee chair, UniteJohn Storey, executive council, UniteSam Tarry, national political officer, TSSAPhil Thompson, secretary, Unison Greater London Region international committeeHeather Wakefield, head of local government, police & justice, UnisonPhil McGarry, chair, Scottish Venezuela Solidarity Campaign Luke Daniels, president, Caribbean Labour SolidarityLiz Davies, barrister & former Labour Party NEC member Lindsey German, national convener, Stop the War CoalitionJohn Haylett, political editor, the Morning StarZita Holbourne, Black Activists Rising Against Cuts co-chair & PCS NEC member Kate Hudson, general secretary, CNDJoy Johnson, writer & Tribune columnist Carolyn Jones, director, Institute of Employment RightsBruce Kent, peace campaigner Martin Mayer, Labour Party NEC Rob Miller, director, Cuba Solidarity CampaignPablo Navarrete, AlboradaBob Oram, chair of the Morning Star management committeeLouise Richards, Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign Action GroupJackie Simpkins, trade unions officer, War on WantMatthew Willgress, No Coup in Brazil