Privatization, a sell-out policy that needs to be stopped.

A game of interests and quid pro quo. That's how the relationship between Michel Temer's coup government and the financial market can be defined. In this quid pro quo, several state-owned companies have come under the scrutiny of the coup and are threatened with privatization. It is estimated that, for this year alone, there are 75 projects – including privatizations, concessions, and public-private partnerships (PPPs) – that are expected to pass from state control to the private sector.

This wave of privatization is a continuation of the policy of handing over public assets, fostered by the government of Fernando Henrique Cardoso (PSDB) between 1995 and 2003. The former president was responsible for the largest privatization in the country. Under the justification of improving public finances, indispensable companies from the most varied sectors were sold for a pittance, simply to satisfy the thirst of the financial market, leaving the country with a gigantic debt.

During the progressive governments, the nefarious privatization policy was curbed, and Brazil regained control over strategic areas of the economy. However, in 2016, with the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff – our legitimately elected president – ​​the sell-off projects returned in full force, as yet another strategy of the coup to reduce the role of the State as a social agent and promoter of public and social policies.

Since then, a policy of immediate action has been initiated to privatize large public and state-owned companies. This is the payment for the coup, a bill that is being demanded daily by the market. This can be seen in the government's haste to conclude the process of handing over Eletrobrás, the flagship of the privatization chain. However, the measure has faced strong resistance from numerous movements, which understand that the company, in addition to being strategic for the country's financial development, plays an important social role.

By privatizing a public asset, the coup plotters ignore the harm this action will cause to workers and the population. While those who work to keep the company afloat will be left at the mercy of the situation, without jobs, society will suffer from the deterioration of services provided. In the case of Eletrobrás, for example, which sells the cheapest energy in Brazil, the impact will be directly on the consumer's pocket, who will pay a much higher price.

The same consequences will be felt with the privatization of Petrobras, which is gradually being handed over to international capital. The pre-salt reserves, one of Brazil's greatest assets, are now almost entirely under the control of foreign multinationals. We cannot forget our public banks either, which are undergoing a dismantling disguised as restructuring: numerous branches are being closed across the country, thousands of jobs are being lost, suggesting that this is the path to handing them over to the private sector.

We, as Brazilians, cannot remain silent while our assets are being sold off. For decades, wealth earned through our labor has been handed over to the market, and this trend is likely to intensify unless we initiate a strong resistance movement. Whether in the streets, online, or in the workplace, we must express our opposition to any form of privatization. We need to occupy all social spaces and defend our national sovereignty. We must resist and say NO to privatization!