Petrobras and the class struggle in Brazil

"I see a museum full of great novelties."

The quote above is an excerpt from the song "O Tempo Não Para" by the late lyricist and poet Cazuza; and it fits perfectly to express this latest season of "accusations" against the PT government using (as usual!) our great and internationally respected Petrobras.

With each new defamatory and violent attack by the right-wing media against the PT and Dilma's government, the certainty grows among Brazilians that we are facing a "class hatred" never seen before in the history of this country - perhaps the closest thing is that distilled by the reactionary elite on the eve of the 64 coup.

When they rail against President Dilma's government, against Lula and the PT, they are, in truth, condemning the inclusion of millions of Brazilians in a standard of living that, in the not-too-distant past, was only permitted to the wealthy, to daddy's little kids, generally white people.

The Brazil of these times under the PT government, which they fight with so much hatred, is the Brazil that allows a bricklayer's son to realize the dream of sitting in a classroom to study Medicine, an opportunity achieved through inclusive public policies such as ProUni, for example.

The hatred stems from the increasing rise of the lower classes to social levels more befitting the human condition in terms of dignity, hence the growing sale of motorcycles, cars, and other consumer goods previously exclusive to the wealthier classes.

And that's without even mentioning Bolsa Família, Luz para Todos, Enem, Sisu, Minha Casa Minha Vida, Mais Médicos, in short, a network of social programs that have been changing the socioeconomic profile of the Brazilian people every year.

This explains why, in every election since the Workers' Party (PT) came to power, the Brazilian right wing and its various tentacles in society, especially the mainstream media, cling to a new fabricated story with the same old objective: to destabilize the government and try to kill the Workers' Party outright.

The current sensation is the accusations made by the former director of Petrobras, Paulo Roberto Costa, regarding the alleged involvement of government officials, governors, federal deputies, and senators in corruption schemes at the state-owned company.

The coverage by the press, nostalgic for the arbitrary rule of the 60s and 70s and the neoliberal era of the 90s, regarding the "allegations" of the former director of Petrobras, is nauseating.

Meanwhile, in scandals like Aécio Neves' private airport built with funds from the people of Minas Gerais, and the grim episode of the "ownerless" jet that killed former governor Eduardo Campos, the major newspapers act to the tune of that old song that says: "I don't care, I don't care...".

Let it be clear: Petrobras is merely a pretext used by those who cannot tolerate seeing young people, women, homosexuals, black people, students, and ordinary workers achieve a level of quality of life denied for centuries by anti-people governments.

It's good old class struggle in its most radical form!