The course of social development

We are living through a difficult period in Brazil, both politically and economically. Overnight, we saw the votes of more than 54 million Brazilians disregarded in the National Congress. As if that weren't enough, in addition to the coup against the constitution and the democratic rule of law, day after day we have been battered by the setbacks of Michel Temer's interim government. Among these, one of the most worrying could affect the dignity of millions of people whose lives have improved over the last 13 years. This is the extinction of the Ministry of Social Development and the Fight against Hunger (MDS) and the end of public policies aimed at people in situations of social vulnerability.

Not by chance, this is one of the greatest legacies of the legitimately elected governments of 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014. Through the MDS (Ministry of Social Development), coordinated actions for income transfer and public services that promoted the eradication of hunger, the reduction of poverty, and the elimination of child labor among children under 14 years of age were put into practice. All this, thanks to the national coordination of the Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS) and the Food and Nutritional Security System (SISAN).

All this work, which is at risk of being erased by the illegitimate government, has made public social protection accessible to more than 30 million families. This is achieved through the Bolsa Família program (more than 13 million families), the Continuous Benefit of Social Assistance (BPC) (more than 4 million people, including the elderly and people with disabilities), or the social assistance service network comprised of 10 state-run public units (CRAS, CREAS, CENTRO POP, CENTRO DIA, SHELTERS, community centers) and 16 social assistance entities spread throughout the country.

In this context, we are concerned about the arrangements that the interim president has been proposing for the former Ministry: altering its structure to accommodate other sectoral policies and even distorting its constitutionally mandated functions. Therefore, we propose a public hearing in the Chamber of Deputies on the direction of social development going forward. The debate will take place this Wednesday, the 8th, starting at 14:30 PM. We will in no way allow any setbacks regarding the guarantees, rights, and goals agreed upon with the users and workers of the SUAS (Unified Social Assistance System) and with the social protection system for the entire Brazilian population.