Maturity test for Brazil's democracy

[Judi Lynn]

Maturity test for Brazil's democracy

A wave of protests in Brazil puts President Dilma Rousseff under increasing pressure. Radical opponents of the government want an impeachment, but they have had little response.

Date 19.03.2015
Author Astrid Prange / ws

Following mass protests in Brazil, President Dilma Rouseff has announced that she will put the fight against corruption high on the agenda again. "We are on the right track," she said in a televised address to the nation on Wednesday. There was, she maintained, no increase in corruption: "In this country, it is no longer swept under the carpet."

Does that mean the big clean-up has started? Many Brazilians are suspicious of their unpopular president's pledge. After all, the media in Latin America's largest country uncovers new corruption scandals amongst the political elite almost every day.

Now the Brazilian government says it wants to step up the fight against bribery once again. A new draft bill, to be submitted for parliament's approval before the end of the week, proposes a more severe punishment for unlawful enrichment by civil servants, as well as illegal funding of political parties.

~ snip ~

"What we see is a surge of dissatisfaction with our traditionally corrupt political system," Britto told the Brazilian press. People had taken to the streets without responding to calls from political parties or single politicians: "30 years after the end of the military dictatorship, Brazil's democracy operates at full throttle."

http://www.dw.de/maturity-test-for-brazils-democracy/a-18324257

[delrem]

1. I hope democracy prevails. nt