Comment on The Economist's article "Lula and Whose Side is Brazil on?"

A brazilian's comment about The Economist's article on "Lula and Whose Side is Brazil On?"

I was very pleased to read the above mentioned article, because it shows the world is starting to see Lula's true face behind his "bonhomie". His mask is finally cracking. Many Brazilians suspect he is not a democrat at heart.

He used democracy to raise to power but once there he proceeded to place cronies in key positions regardless of their competence and to ally himself to the worst personalities in Brazilian politics, the old guard known as the "coronéis", of which Senators Sarney, Collor and Calheiros are worthy representatives. Lula has a lot in common with them: all of them see the government as a private feud at the service of the happy few who got elected and not as something that belongs to all Brazilians.

There have been many attempts against the freedom of the press, and the latest (a ruling against one of our most prestigious newspapers) placed O Estado de São Paulo under censorship thanks to the good offices of a judge who is friends with Mr. Sarney.

I also beg to diverge from the statement about his "supernatural popularity". He's most popular in the North and Northeastern region thanks to his conditional cash transfers (Bolsa-Família), but not so popular in the South and Southeastern regions where lives the majority of better educated voters.

Many Brazilians are not very happy with our foreign policy either. We don't like to see Brazil siding with the likes of Chávez, Ahmadinejad, Correa, Lugo, Castro, Zelaya, not exactly champions of democracy.

And if the old saying "Birds of a feather flock together" holds some truth in it, we are in very dire straits indeed!

Nonethless I take heart from your article. It shows the world is opening its eyes to the serpent's egg developing in Latin America, and not so slowly at that. I hope that the world will help Latin Americans fight against totalitarian regimes threatening our infant democracies. All peoples deserve the regime that took Lula to power,and that includes Brazilians.

Tereza Sayeg, São Paulo, Brazil tereza.sayeg@gmail.com