Defeat for far right in Brazil increases challenges for U.S. imperialism in the Americas

On October 30, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, popularly known as Lula, defeated Jair Bolsonaro, the far right-wing incumbent president of Brazil, to win Brazil’s presidency. The election was a runoff after no candidate won 50% of the votes in the first round of the election earlier in October.

Caracas, Venezuela – From July 25 to 28, delegates from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) will be participating in the 25th Sao Paolo Forum, held this year in Caracas, Venezuela. Over 1000 delegates from around the world will be attending, under the slogan “For Peace, Sovereignty and the Prosperity of the People: Unity, Struggle, Combat and Victory!”

_Entrevista con Luiza Bezerra de la federación sindical Central de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras de Brasil (CTB) _

El 28 de octubre, los brasileños votarán en la segunda vuelta de sus elecciones presidenciales. La primera vuelta, el 7 de octubre, provocó conmociones en todo el mundo, ya que el candidato de extrema derecha pro-militar de la dictadura Jair Bolsonaro ganó el 46% de los votos y encabeza las urnas en la segunda ronda de votaciones, donde se enfrentará a Fernando Haddad del Partido de los Trabajadores (PT). Brasil es un vasto país que tiene la segunda economía más grande de América, detrás de la economía de los Estados Unidos. Brasil sólo emergió hace 33 años de una dictadura militar de derecha. Bolsonaro proviene de las fuerzas armadas y ha pedido abiertamente el retorno de Brasil al gobierno militar. Los sindicatos y la izquierda en Brasil enfrentan una situación potencialmente sombría si Bolsonaro gana, ya que llama a la represión contra sindicalistas e izquierdistas, así como a promueve ataques contra los Afro-Brasileños, las personas LGBTQ y las mujeres.

Interview with Luiza Bezerra of the Brazilian Workers Central (CTB) union federation

On October 28, Brazilians will vote in the second round of their presidential election. The first round on October 7 sent shock waves around the world as extreme right-wing pro-military dictatorship candidate Jair Bolsonaro won 46% of the vote and leads polls heading into the second round of voting, where he will face Fernando Haddad of the Workers Party (PT). Brazil is a vast country which has the second largest economy in the Americas, behind only the U.S. economy. Brazil only emerged 33 years ago from a right-wing military dictatorship. Bolsonaro comes from the military and has openly called for returning Brazil to military rule. Unions and the left in Brazil face a potentially grim situation if Bolsonaro wins, since he calls for repression against trade unionists and leftists as well as promoting attacks on Black people, LGBTQ people and women.

Caracas, Venezuela – The Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) stated that the recent political conflicts in Brazil, especially the imprisonment of former president Lula Da Silva, should serve as a warning to the Venezuelan working people and popular movement of what can happen to democratic organizations and the people’s achievements when the right-wing and the oligarchy retake political power.

Delegation from Chicago Teachers Union meets with Brazilian teachers

Sao Paulo, Brazil – Labor unions, progressive political parties and social movements across Brazil have called for a general strike of all workers to protest the neoliberal anti-worker policies being imposed by right-wing politicians including the new president Michel Temer. Temer was put in office only after the illegal removal of progressive President Dilma Rousseff of the Workers Party.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement on the political situation in Brazil by the Central of the Workers of Brazil (CTB), a Brazilian class-struggle union federation that is part of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). Political Resolution of the CTB National Council