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Thousands rally in Brazil to denounce 'capitalism'

Tuesday, 25 October 2016 7:14 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 25 October 2016 10:42 AM ]

Demonstrators attend a protest against Brazil's President Michel Temer in Sao Paulo, Sept. 4, 2016. (Photo by Reuters)

Thousands of Brazilians have taken to the streets of the capital, Brasilia, and Rio de Janeiro to protest against President Michel Temer's reform plans which they believe are akin to austerity.

Protesters chanted and drummed as they marched, accusing Temer of "imposing his fascist and cruel capitalism" after coming to power in May in what has been widely described as a parliamentary coup.

The reform plans, known as PEC 241, are on course to curb spending, especially on the health and education, protesters said on Monday.

Parts of Temer's reforms announced in September propose to increase compulsory hours spent at school and reduce the obligatory subjects studied to Portuguese, English and mathematics

The plan "freezes the public investments in fields like public health and education. That will freeze our future and it will increasingly harm our universities, schools and hospitals," protester Luisa Cauvetter told AFP in Brasilia.

"We do not accept that Temer through a coup comes to the country and imposes those social cuts," she said.

Temer came to power after elected president Dilma Rousseff was removed from office following an impeachment trial in senate she condemned as a coup.

Protester Ariel Mendoca condemned Temer for staging a "coup", saying “he is trying to reduce social rights, especially in education, by imposing his fascist and cruel capitalism."

People protest against a constitutional amendment, known as PEC 241, in Rio de Janeiro, October 24, 2016. (Photo by Reuters)

"The PEC is the end of the world. Not even the most liberal countries have such comprehensive legislation that benefits the financial and business interests as the one that is being presented to Brazil," another protester Jose Roberto said.

Temer is about to remain in office for what would have been the rest of Rousseff’s second term through 2018.

Rousseff was removed from power over allegedly breaking fiscal rules and tampering with the 2014 federal budget. She has strongly rejected the allegations and denounced Temer as a “usurper.”

The impeachment and its result have so far sparked numerous rallies across Brazil in her favor and in condemnation of the move.

The country is reeling from its worst recession on record and a fiscal deficit of more than ten percent of gross domestic product.

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