Meu amigo Pericchi and his letter to Brazilians

[Carlos Alberto de BraganÃa Pereira <cpereira@ime.usp.br>]

March 08, 2014
Open Letter to my Brazilians Friends and Academic Colleagues,
I have a deep attachment to Brasil...the crisp  lyricism of its
Portuguese way, the rhythms, the unexpected harmonies, the Gilberto
guitar,  Jobimâs geniusâour South American Albinoniâ  Viniciusâ
musical poems. I think in Samba Rhythmâ

I was teaching in Brazil, in the historical times of the panelas
(cacerolas), of the peopleâs victory against the old and tired
generals. Until Tancredo Neves untimely died in Hospital das
Clinicasâa weird start of a new eraâPerhaps finally the real âOrdem e
Progressoââ

After the failure of Bolivarâs dream,   it became Brasilâs turn to
take the lead of the South American sub-continentâWho else? Argentina
had long ago decided to fade away.

The Charismatic Giant Verde-Amarelho seemed to be predestined to lead
the way for a Democratic South America. A real integral democracy, not
the tyranny of minimal and objectionable majorities, which after
questionably gaining an election with a minimal difference, use the
power to violate its own Constitution that they pledge to defend,
which is the case of Venezuela nowadays.

After regaining democracy Brazil was a powerful and positive
democratic  influence  for a while. Not any longer. An ominous
consensus goes by the name of the infamous Foro de Sao PauloâI prefer
to think of Sao Paulo hearing âSampaâ, lyrics of Caetano music by Gil.

Itamaraty Palace was the non plus ultra of professional and discreet
diplomacy with long term goals for a strong democracy in the region.
Not, it would seem, any longer.

When the population protested the over spending for the World Cup and
Olympics, the Brazilian government rejected violent repression and,
instead, opted for a civilized way of resolving conflict with dialogue
and substantive change. This can hardly be said of the Venezuelan case.

When the Venezuelan regimeâ in response to unarmed student protest 
against unbearable insecurity and crime, shortages, and inflationâ 
opted for violent repression and the fascist deployment of armed gangs
in motorcycles,  the Brazilian giant stayed in silent complicity.

Why Brazil is not at the stature that her size and status demand? Is
it petro- dollars  for Venezuelan contracts with  huge Brazilian
Construction Company? Is it fear against its own radicals? Is it a
failure to see the hypocrisy implicit in a leftist government that
fails to provide grounds for real and sustained equality and is ruled
by corruption? Why, Why, Why has Brazil abandoned its due
responsibility in the defense of the âcivilization  movementâ of Latin
America? (now thinking of Darcy Ribeiro, a noted Brazilian Citizen who
was for a long time an admired Professor in Venezuela)  The current
hypocritical scapegoat is: âBrazil does not interveneâ Did Brazil
intervened or not in Honduras? In Paraguay? Did ex-president Lula da
Silva call publicly the Venezuelans to âvote for Chavezâ?. This is the
rule: It does not intervene when the abuse is within the brother
Castrosâ  interests. But in fact, this is a direct intervention, to
position itself in apparent neutrality without at least distancing
itself morally when the abuse of Democracy is done by a self
proclaimed leftist and anti USA government. Those who in an abuse keep
silent, approve.  This has to be tolerated, because of âideological
affinityâ, it seems. The essence of nowadays Brazilian policy is the
double moral: one Democracy at home (at least for now, care!), and
quite another for its neighbors.   In the long run, this is against
the interest not only of South America but Brazilians themselves.

Brazilian Medicine is one of the best in the world. Why is it taking
modern slaves (they are rented by the Cuban Regime), in the shape of
Cuban âmedical doctorsâ (closer to outdated paramedics than real
specialists) when long term political consequences will be felt in
Brasil? They are also political activists, until several of them
manage to emigrate to Miami.  A current joke, very much in Brazilian
tune, goes as this: Fidel Castro first ruined Cuba, then the powerful
Soviet Union, after that the oil rich Venezuela, and next will ruin
the South American giant Brazil. Brazil has lost the political
leadership of South America, in the hands of Cuba!
Could anybody please explain to me why a giant is overwhelmed by a
failed dwarf? Will Brazil be able to re-take its possible glorious
destiny? How can âOrdem e Progessoâ  be changed into âChaos and
Involutionâ as Venezuela has experienced? True, the main
responsibility is for Venezuelans, and we have been fighting hard,
particularly our students and opposition democratic parties. It would
have been useful to have a little helpâfrom our big neighbor, not to
support the opposition, only our demands for stopping repression and
torture of our students, and the stoppage of freedom of information
and expression.

Professor Luis Pericchi with the help of his daughter Adriana, both
Venezuelans,  but also Brazilians at hearth.
Brazilian Colleague, please write to your senator, major, journalist,
talk to your colleagues, write your reactions, publish it.
#SOSVenezuela.
--
Carlos Alberto de BraganÃa Pereira
http://www.ime.usp.br/~cpereira
http://scholar.google.com.br/citations?user=PXX2AygAAAAJ&hl=pt-BR
Stat Department - Professor & Head
University of SÃo Paulo