Number 342, March 17, 1999.
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In this week's issue:
From FOLHA DE SAO PAULO:
- President criticizes those who protest against government's agrarian
reform program
- New Archbishop attacks Brazil's economic policies
- Blackout leaves ten states without electricity
- IMF says Brazil is studying the privatization of its banks
From O TRECHEIRO:
- Prefect of Corumba "kidnaps" homeless people
**NEWS BRIEFS**
From FOLHA DE SAO PAULO:
- President criticizes those who protest against government's agrarian
reform program
President Fernando Henrique Cardoso criticized people who have protested
against his government's attempts at agrarian reform. Though he did not
say so, his remarks were directed at the Movimento Sem Terra (Landless
Movement). "This government never opposes agrarian reform, and now has the
moral authority to say that now what we need to do is to take advantage of
the fruits of the reforms we have made. It's not only about appropriation
of land," said FHC. He went on to say that the government should be more
concerned about the conditions on the settlements than trying to give out
more land. Therefore, his government is going to concentrate more on
finding a place in the foreign markets for things produced on the
settlements. Coca- Cola company has already agreed to buy 600 tons of
brown sugar produced on settlements over the next four years.
March 11, 1999
- New Archbishop attacks Brazil's economic policies
The new archbishop of Salvador, Bahia, Dom Geraldo Majella Agnelo,
criticized yesterday the economic policies the President has chosen for the
country. "It is a great worry of the Church that the preservation of the
Real (Brazil's monetary unity) be at the cost of employment and a source of
great suffering for the people. . . an economic plan cannot be more
important than the human person," said the Archbishop. "Work, health and
education for everyone are our greatest concerns."
March 11, 1999
- Blackout leaves ten states without electricity
Brazil suffered its biggest blackout yesterday since 1985. The electricity
went out at 10:16 p.m., lasted for four hours, and affected ten states.
São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, Santa Catarina, and
Espírito Santo were completely without power; Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso,
Goiás and Brasília were partially affected for 20 minutes. Even
neighboring country Paraguay, who also get their energy source from the
Itaipu hydoelectric plant, was without power for 15 minutes. The blackout
caused problems for traffic in the major cities in these states, as well as
for hospitals. Two women in São Paulo were just giving birth when the
blackout occurred. Fortunately, there were no medical complications. The
blackout is believed to have been caused by lightening which struck a power
line in São Paulo, and thus short circuiting the system. The problem is
still being investigated.
March 12, 1999
- IMF says Brazil is studying the privatization of its banks
The head of the International Monetary Fund, Michael Camdesseus, said that
Brazil is studying plans to privatize the federal banks Banco do Brasil and
Caixa Economica. However, he denied that the IMF is imposing this
possibility as a condition of its loan to Brazil. The President said that
it is still too early to think about selling the banks.
Meanwhile, the Central Bank today announced that its dollar reserves have
once again fallen, dropping from $35.1 to $34.6 billion. This was due to
an intervention the bank made on Monday in the currency exchange to prop up
the Real. Yesterday, the Real closed at $1.87 to the dollar.
March 17, 1999
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From O TRECHEIRO:
- Prefect of Corumba "kidnaps" homeless people
The prefect of Corumba in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Eder Moreira
Brambilla, was accused of kidnaping street people in early February and
exporting them to São Paulo. Corumba is one of the largest tourist points
in the state-- up to 70 thousand people visit it during the year. The state
borders with Bolivia and has a population of 89,000 people.
According to the prefect, the decision to remove the homeless from the
streets was because the number of people living on the streets had
increased. Brambilla denied the allegations that he was cleaning the
streets of the city from homeless people. Only 18 of the 32 homeless people
who were kidnaped and transferred from Corumba to São Paula have returned
to Mato Grosso do Sul. Fourteen of them have stayed in the interior of the
state of São Paulo, 13 in Campo Grande and five in the city of Carumba.
Julio Cesar de Almeida, tells how he was 'kidnaped': "A minibus stopped
in front of me and three municipal guards jumped out and ordered me into
the bus. They took me to a half way house and locked me in a room. I could
not even look out through the window". Another homeless person called
Miguel Gomes da Silva, spent 34 hours in a similar situation and said it
was the most fearful time of his entire life. Five of the homeless, who
returned from São Paulo to Corumba, said they had lived more than five
years in Corumba.
The municipal guard of Corumba, filled a bus with 32 homeless people and
took them for a 'ride' to the interior of the States of Parana and São
Paulo. They were simple dropped of like animals in the cities of the above
mentioned states. Fortunately the Highway Police in São Paulo, were able
to arrest the guards. A member of city hall told the municipal guards that
they were to return to the city of origins some beggars who were left in
Corumba.
The prefect is directly responsible for this appalling behavior of picking
up defenseless people and 'dumping' them. In truth, these street people,
excluded from society for one reason or another, deserve conditions that
will help them readapt to society. This is a duty of those in public
office, to provide shelters, housing, assistance etc. even if it is
temporary. How much money is spent on unfinished works, self-promotion and
other things which rarely achieve anything? Why can't we invest in the
human person? People need to use their heads to think about the problems of
their fellow beings, and not crazy ideas and cowardly acts like this one of
'exporting' defenseless people so that the city would not loose out in its
tourist attractions. On the contrary, it serves to raise the indignation of
people who dream of a better city and State.
Federal government, as well as state and municipal governments need to
invest with urgency in social projects for the excluded and oppressed in
our society, where such people receive the benefits to readapt back into a
society where they are included and respected.
February 1999
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