Brazil Leader Breaks Silence Over Protests

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 22 Juni 2013 | 10.52

Brazil's President has addressed the nation after crisis talks with key ministers to discuss how to respond to two weeks of nationwide protests against alleged corruption and high prices.

Speaking during a TV broadcast, Dilma Rousseff said the government knew there were many things "we can do quicker and better" and that Brazil "fought hard to become a democratic country", but that she could not tolerate violence committed by "a minority".

She added: "We need to oxygenate our political system ... and make it more transparent."

Demonstrators shout anti-government slogans behind part of a banner during one of many protests around Brazil's major cities in Sao Paulo Dilma Rousseff has condemned the violence by 'a minority'

Ms Rousseff, a former Marxist rebel who fought against Brazil's 1964-85 military regime and was imprisoned for three years, pointedly referred to sacrifices her generation made to free the nation from dictatorship.

Her comments came after nearly one million demonstrators took to the streets on Friday across the country to denounce poor public services to the billions of dollars spent preparing for next year's World Cup soccer tournament and the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

Ms Rousseff had cancelled a trip overseas because of the unrest, but has stayed away from the public eye for most of this week.

President Dilma Rousseff President Rousseff supports peaceful protest

Earlier, Roberto Jaguaribe, the nation's ambassador to Britain, said the government was first trying to contain the protests.

He labelled as "very delicate" the myriad demands coming from protesters in the streets.

"One of our ministers who's dealing with these issues of civil society said that it would be presumptuous on our part to think we know what's taking place," Mr Jaguaribe said.

"This is a very dynamic process. We're trying to figure out what's going on because who do we speak to, who are the leaders of the process?"

But critics of Ms Rousseff and her government have accused them of paying "lip service".

Marlise Matos, a political science professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, said: "The government has to respond, even if the agenda seems unclear and wide open.

"It should be the president herself who should come out and provide a response. But I think the government is still making strategic calculations to decide how to respond. What I'd like to see as a response is a call for a referendum on political reform. Let the people decide what kind of political and electoral system we have."

Law enforcement troops take cover behind their shields as protesters throw stones during a demonstration outside the stadium before the Confederations Cup soccer match between Nigeria and Uruguay in Salvador Nearly a million protesters took to the streets on Friday

Carlos Cardozo, a 62-year-old financial consultant who joined Friday's protest in Rio, said he thought the unrest could cost Ms Rousseff next year's elections.

"Her paying lip service by saying she's in favour of the protests is not helping her cause," Mr Cardozo said. "People want to see real action, real decisions, and it's not this government that's capable of delivering."

At least one protester was killed in Sao Paulo on Thursday night when a motorist - apparently enraged about being unable to drive along a street - rammed his car into a crowd of demonstrators.

Unconfirmed news reports also said a 54-year-old cleaning woman had died on Friday after inhaling tear gas.


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