South America

Neves Nominated to Challenge Rousseff in October Election

by Mridula Tirumalasetti
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BRASILIA, Brazil–Senator Aecio Neves has received the nomination of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party, or PSDB, to run against President Dilma Rousseff in the election this October. Neves is running on a platform to reduce inflation and encourage economic growth by introducing pro-market measures and cutting public spending. In a speech at the national convention of the PSDB in Sao Paulo, Neves said “We are hostages today to the worst economic equation in emerging markets, with minimal growth and worsening inflation.” Neves also told news sources, “Our government will create a more serene and propitious climate for the market, which is important to recover investments and grow.” Neves has been known to have criticized the ruling party, the Workers Party, because of corruption and has said he would maintain the social programs in Brazil which have brought poverty down.

Rousseff was elected in October 2010 as Brazil’s first woman president. Born to a Bulgarian immigrant, Rousseff joined the underground left-wing resistance in 1964. She spent three years in jail, where she was tortured, after being arrested in 1970.

Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff pictured during a signing ceremony. (photo courtesy of UK Reuters)

Rousseff’s popularity is dropping as Brazil faces economic uncertainty, but also because of the numerous protests over the public spending for the World Cup soccer tournament and the series of scandals at the energy company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, or Petrobras, which is state-run. In addition to the labor strikes that have been ensuing, Rousseff has been the target of verbally aggressive chants coming from crowds during the World Cup. Rouseff has said that the chants did not reflect the views of the majority of Brazilians. However, there have been an increasing number of Brazilian voters who have publicly said they would never vote for Rousseff.

Although Neves promises that an adjustment will be made regarding fiscal policy, Neves does not promise an overnight remedy and has said I could take two to three years before inflation goes down. Neves is the former governor of Minas Gerais, one of Brazil’s most populous states and second richest state, and plans to establish a meritocracy. He currently serves as a senator.

The Brazilian election is October 5. Polls show Rousseff has dropped in poll ratings from 34% in April to 32.2% this month, though she is still the frontrunner.  Neves has gained popularity from 19.9% to 21.5%. If neither candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, a runoff election will take place on October 26.

For more information, please see: 

UK Reuters–Opposition candidate closes in on Brazil’s Rouseff ahead of vote–15 June 2014

UK Reuters–Brazil’s Rouseff loses support ahead of Oct vote-poll–11 June 2014

Bloomberg News–Brazil’s Neves Gets Party Endorsement, to Challenge Rouseff–14 June 2014

BBC News–Brazil opposition appoints Neves to challenge Rouseff–14 June 2014

The Guardian–Brazil’s Dilma Rouseff shrugs off World Cup abuse–14 June 2014

Protests in Sao Paulo Turn Violent During World Cup Match

by Delisa Morris

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BRASILIA, Brazil – While the England and Uruguay World Cup match was coming to an end, protests in São Paulo on the other side of town turned violent.  This demonstration turned into antigovernment riots, ostensibly calling for free public transit in Brazil.  The riot was one of the largest demonstrations over the course of the World Cup so far.

A protester jumps over a fire barricade during a violent protest in Sao Paulo. Image courtesy of Time.com

Initially more than a thousand people had gathered to commemorate the one-year anniversary of a successful protest against a transit fare hike.  However, like other transit protests, this one was a flash point to release deep-seated frustrations over poverty and government spending.

At first things were peaceful, like most of the recent demonstrations across Brazil over the course of the World Cup have been, the protest quickly escalated when groups of masked men began to set fires in the street and shatter bank windows.

Tensions were high in the city after a group of men dressed in black threw explosives – possibly fireworks – into a bar crowded with England supporters viewing their country’s match.  The men fled to a bus and were arrested harboring knives, more fireworks and brass knuckles.

A few hours later, around 2,000 Brazilian protesters took to the streets to mark the anniversary of last year’s public transportation protests.  The demonstration was organized by Free Fare, the same group that started last year’s massive protests.  Thursday’s protest began peacefully, but some marches later turned to violence and vandalism as the England-Uruguay game started on the opposite side of the city.  As they did last year, the demonstrators set up burning barricades.  Police responded with tear gas and finally quelled the unrest after five hours or so.  Eyewitnesses claim the anarchist group “Black Block” was behind much of the violence and destruction of property.

The protesters broke the windows of banks and broke into a car dealership to smash the cars there.  Television images showed groups of masked men spray painting graffiti on cars, firing off rockets and smashing public property as police responded with tear gas

One of the largest Brazilian protests during the World Cup soccer tournament thus far, and it was the first to become overtly violent.  A police spokesperson reported no injuries to either protesters or foreign soccer fans.

While a number of anti-government protests have broken out in Brazil since the World Cup began, most have been on a much smaller scale.  Most of the demonstrations in the past few weeks have sought to confront a government that protesters say pays insufficient attention to both public resources and its employees.

The protest shut down one of the city’s main thoroughfares, though the impact of traffic was limited due to a national holiday on Thursday. 

For more information, please see:

Reuters — Sao Paulo protest turns violent as World Cup game ends — 19 June 2014

The Wall Street Journal — Protests in Sao Paulo Turn Violent — 19 June 2014

International Business Times — Sao Paulo Protests Devolve Into Violent Riot After England-Uruguay World Cup Match — 19 June 2014

Time — Amid the World Cup, a Violent Reminder of Brazil’s Discontent — 20 June 2014

Jailed Opposition Leader in Venezuela Ordered to Face Trial

by Mridula Tirumalasetti
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

CARACAS, Venezuela—Leopoldo Lopez, the Harvard-educated politician, who is the leader of the Popular Will party in Venezuela, has been ordered to stand trial. Lopez has been in jail since February 18 for allegedly instigating violence, damaging property, and arson during an anti-governmental protest on February 12 where three people were killed. Lopez turned himself in after being accused of, by President Nicolas Maduro of the United Socialist Party and other ministers, planning these protests. Lopez, if convicted, faces up to 13 years in jail. The trial is supposed to start in August, according to Lopez’s lawyers.

Cardboard figure of Leopoldo Lopez, the jailed opposition leader (photo courtesy of BBC News).

The Popular Will party, a radical opposition group, seeks to force the resignation of Maduro. Demonstrations began in February over the escalating crime rates, and have continued on over the past few months. The main issues are the collapsing economy, shortages of certain food staples, and political corruption. At least 42 people have been killed since the February 12, the start of the unrest.

Human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, as well as some U.S. congressman have condemned and criticized the imprisonment of Lopez and the case against him. Amnesty International argued the charges Lopez faces are a “politically motivated attempt to silence dissent.”

Even Governor and former presidential candidate, Henrique Capriles, said “Thursday’s decision was brewing for some time.” He agrees that the imprisonment of Lopez is evidence of the deteriorating Venezuelan judicial system. Capriles added, “It’s just another barricade for justice.”

The Venezuelan government has also recently accused another opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, of conspiring with U.S. officials to assassinate the president. Both Machado and U.S. officials have denied these allegations. U.S. officials argued these allegations to be the government’s distraction from the real issue of the Venezuelan economy.

U.S. congressional leaders have, however, drafted a bill that would impose sanctions that would specifically target the Venezuelan government officials who have been accused of human rights abuses. Although the bill was approved in the House of Representatives and is currently awaiting a decision from the Senate, members of the State Department are discouraged from using these sanctions because of the possibility of ending any negotiations between the government and the opposition. Talks between the opposition forces and the government are currently halted, as the opposition demands the release of all prisoners jailed during the protests.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera America–Venezuela opposition leader to remain jailed–5 June 2014

BBC News–Venezuela: Leopoldo Lopez must stand trial, judge rules–5 June 2014

The Wall Street Journal–Jailed Venezuela Opposition Leader to Face Trial in August–5 June 2014

The Guardian–Venezuela opposition leader remains in jail while awaiting trial–5 June 2014

Colombian Presidential Election Results in a Runoff

By Delisa Morris

Impunity Watch News Reporter, South America

President Santos and presidential candidate Zuluaga. Photo courtesy of CNN.com

BOGOTA, Colombia – Colombians will be waiting for the presidential election results until after the June 15 runoff.  As of Friday, the presidential race was too close to call between President Juan Manuel Santos and his challenger Ivan Oscar Zuluaga.

Many believe that the outcome of the presidential race will determine the fate of the country’s half-century guerilla war.  President Santos has staked his reputation on peace talks between the Colombian government and the Marxist rebels.  Hoping that peace talks that began with the FARC rebels in 2012, being held in Cuba, will end the 50-year conflict.

Presidential candidate Zuluaga, wants to implement tougher conditions, fearing that President Santos is being too lenient with the rebels.  His appeal to voters has been that the talks could lead to little or no punishment for guerillas’ war crimes and hand them instant political power.

Imposing tougher conditions could cause the FARC to walk away, leaving a return to the military option the only alternative.  Colombians are desperate for peace, but both candidates are selling extremes, forcing Colombians to choose between handing over the government to the rebels, leaving war crimes unpunished and a potentially endless war.

Since the conflict began in May 1964 at least 220,000 people have died.  President Santos, 62 and Zuluaga, 55 are both economists.  The presidential rivals are former cabinet colleagues under former president Alvaro Uribe and both support free market economics and continued close ties with the United States.

Santos began as a comfortable favorite before Zuluaga surged with the backing of former president Uribe, who is still popular amongst Colombians.

In a Gallup poll the candidates were neck-and-neck, but two other surveys showed a clear lead to Zuluaga or Santos.

The Gallup poll on Thursday showed the candidates in a dead heat statistically given the margin of error, with 48.5 percent for Zuluaga versus 47.7 percent for the president.

On Friday, a Cifras y Conceptos poll showed 43.4 percent of voter respondents would vote for Santos and 38.5 percent for Zuluaga, while the research firm Ipsos Napoleon Franco reported 49 percent to Zuluaga and 41 percent to Santos.

Clara Lopes, a leftist candidate defeated in the first round of voting with 15 percent of first rounds votes, publicly placed her support behind Santos.

FARC leader Rodrigo Londono, widely known by his war alias TImochenko, scoffed at both candidates, releasing a lengthy statement this week, saying they are both warmongers.

“Colombians face a real dilemma, but its not that they must choose between war with Oscar Ivan Zuluaga and peace with Juan Manuel Santos.  It’s clear that either one of them represents war,” he said, calling for a “powerful coalitions” to the left to face whoever wins.

For more information, please see:

Reuters — Polls Show Cliffhanger Presidential Election in Colombia — 06 June 2014

Fecima — Polls Show Cliffhanger Presidential Election in Colombia — 06 June 2014

Newslocker — Polls Show Cliffhanger Presidential Election in Colombia — 06 June 2014

The Economist — Colombia’s Presidential Election: A Vote for Peace — 07 June 2014

Transportation Strike in Bolivia Leads to Clashes

By Ellis Cortez
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SUCRE, Bolivia – A transport workers strike caused chaos in the Bolivian city of El Alto on Tueday during a protest against the local government’s plans to regulate the transport system. The demonstrators, who are also demanding higher wages, blocked a main avenue in the city.

Bus drivers block an avenue during a previous transport workers’ strike in La Paz in 2012. (Photo Courtesy of AP)

Riot police arrived on the scene and fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse the protesters. Local media reported 58 bus drivers were arrested for damaging passing vehicles that would not support the protesters.

Bolivian Police were able to clear the roads after protesters set fire to tires in the middle of the road. Approximately 1,200 police officers guarded the highways that lead to the city’s main airports.

The protesters, who run a network of privately owned minibuses, stated that the strike would continue indefinitely if local authorities do not back down on their plans to modernize public transport systems.

A leader of a drivers’ union in El Alto, Marcos Tito Cabrera, said bus drivers have been charging the same fare for the past few decades. “Since the creation of such vehicles (minibuses) for the last 30 or 40 years we have been operating by charging only one Bolivian (peso) as passage. This government in eight years has raised the wages of workers four times, perhaps we are not part of the state but we are also the people,” Cabrera said.

The local government is implementing four modern transport systems in the metropolitan area of two million residents, which the drivers fear will affect their own services in the cities.

An exclusive bus system with special routes is planned, along with a multimillion-dollar cable car system that will link the two mountain cities of La Paz and El Alto. The system will change the way Bolivians transport around the city. The cable car and bus system will aim to offer a faster service than existing modes of city transportation, authorities say.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera — Bolivian transport strike causes chaos – 4 June 2014

The Washington Post – Clashes in Bolivia over transportation regulations – 4 June 2014

AOL News – Clashes in Bolivia  – 3 June 2014

Boston.com – Clashes in Bolivia – 3 June 2014