Poor voters turn their ire on Brazil’s leftist leader
In poor districts some of Dilma’s leftist party’s most loyal voters are sick of her — and all politicians
SAO PAULO: Brazil’s suspended the same.” The Senate opens Rousseff ’s help to pay the rent.” Lula presided over of fiddling the state accounts to mask the president Dilma Rousseff is fighting impeachment trial on Thursday and is a commodities boom fuelled by Chinese depth of the recession. impeachment to the end, but in poor expected to vote on Tuesday whether to demand for Brazil’s iron ore, oil and But several of Temer’s allies are districts some of her leftist party’s most fire her for good. For political observers, other raw materials. implicated in the Petrobras affair and loyal voters are sick of her — and all it is a turning point: the end of 13 years When commodities prices dropped, three of his ministers have resigned. “In politicians. of leftist government in which Latin Brazil’s economy slowed down. It the end, whoever’s in or out robs just the
Cidade Tiradentes on the outskirts America’s biggest economy boomed and tipped into recession early in Rousseff ’s same,” said Oliveira. of Sao Paulo, a bastion of Rousseff ’s then went bust. second term in 2015. “I voted for Dilma For faithful PT supporters, Temer Workers’ Party (PT), has suffered as But for the poorest in a country with both times, but now I am fed up,” said and his centre-right PMDB party are much as anywhere from the political and 11 million unemployed, the political Oliveira. Rousseff ’s popularity rating no replacement. But Rousseff is not economic crises that have brought down milestone means little. They are sick of was just 13 per cent in a survey in July by expected to survive the impeachment the 68-year-old leader. politics. “The truth is I don’t care much pollster Datafolha. That was just below vote. Brazilian media calculate that a
“I always voted for the PT but in the if Dilma stays or goes,” Dos Anjos said. her interim replacement Michel Temer. majority of senators will vote to impeach last election in 2014 I cast a blankher.ballot,”“Herethingsarealwaysbad.”HewillbecomefullpresidentifRousseff said Pamela Dos Anjos, 28, outside a A large majority of voters backed the is removed. “I voted and will keep voting for the social welfare office in the district. PT in 2014 when Rousseff was narrowly On top of economic suffering, voters PT. But I cannot leave work to go to
“I was tired of hearing them say re-elected. Her predecessor, PT founder are angry at corruption. Numerous political demonstrations” in her support, that things were going to get better Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, had launched politicians in the Workers’ Party and said Levy Marques, 28, who owns a signand then nothing did.” She scrapes a social welfare programmes that lifted their rivals are implicated in a probe making business in Cidade Tiradentes. living delivering newspapers for $13 millions out of poverty. into alleged embezzlement at the state “I would prefer Dilma to stay. But at this a day. “I am fed up with them, all of Among these is the ‘Bolsa Familia’ or oil firm Petrobras. Rousseff is not being stage there is not much to be done.” the politicians,” she said. “They are all ‘Family Fund,’ a system of conditional investigated in that case. She is accused subsidies that has international media.
“With Lula our won lives praise got in better,” says Naira de Oliveira, 27, an assistant cook. “There was more work and less hunger. We got the Family Fund and