The priorities of social movements

247 - Ivan Alex, the PT's national secretary for Popular Movements, writes an article for 247 where he assesses the priorities of the social movement amidst the far-right government of Jair Bolsonaro (PSL). 

According to Alex, given so many setbacks already announced, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who has been held as a political prisoner in Curitiba since April 2018, should give the ideological character of class struggle to this dispute.

"Continuing the struggle for the liberation of President Lula is strategic, added to the mobilization efforts and the daily struggle of the Brazilian people, in resistance and mobilizations against the neoliberal, anti-democratic offensive and in defense of the poor and excluded. Maintaining Lula's figure in the polarization against Bolsonaro in a clear demonstration of strength is symbolic," he says. 

Read the full article below:

By Ivan Alex*

There were more than 70 assassinations of popular leaders in 2018. This already signaled the policy to be adopted against social and popular movements: their criminalization. The coup against Brazilian democracy deepens, with the lack of guarantees of constitutional rights, legal insecurity, and the dismantling of the State and social policies. The objective is to impose, by force and violence, the anti-democratic regression, in an attempt to quell resistance in the face of the lack of legitimacy and the total absence of a program and policies from the new government.

The defeat of the left in the electoral process was marked, on one hand, by lies, legal and media manipulation, and a stabbing. On the other hand, it was marked by the leading role of the social and popular movement in the tireless struggle against the brutal offensive of the far right, in defense of the right to organize and exist in the face of evident civilizational regression. Women, young people, Black people, LGBTQ+ people, quilombola communities, Indigenous people, labor unions, intellectuals, and artists took the lead against threats of setbacks unthinkable until recently.

There is no space or time for defensiveness in the face of authoritarianism, and there are no guarantees of rights outside of democracy. Therefore, it is fundamental that popular and trade union organizations resume their initiatives and leadership roles in mobilizations before and during elections. In this logic, the tireless pursuit of unity of action is essential in the process of defending rights, including indicating the necessary political unity within the institutional field of the Brazilian left.

Due to the lack of a clear reaction from social and popular organizations, the new government continues its offensive on the campaign trail, with its hate speech. In these first few days, it is inciting criminal actions and impunity in the countryside and on the outskirts of cities against social leaders and organizations, in a tactic of constructing the figure of a non-existent national enemy.

The brutal offensive against rights, for example, the exclusion of the LGBT population from the list of policies and guidelines aimed at promoting Human Rights, the end of food security policy, the transfer of responsibilities for identifying and demarcating indigenous lands and granting land titles to quilombola communities; in addition to environmental licensing and agrarian reform policies managed by agribusiness. And then will come the labor and pension reforms, maintaining the privilege of the elites, widening the gap of social injustices, and penalizing the poor.

In this context, Lula must give the ideological character of the class struggle to this dispute, as a point of reference for society. The continuation of the agendas of struggles for the liberation of President Lula is strategic, added to the efforts of mobilizations and the daily struggle of the Brazilian people, in resistance and mobilizations against the neoliberal, anti-democratic offensive and in defense of the poor and excluded. Maintaining Lula's figure in the polarization against Bolsonaro in a clear demonstration of forces is symbolic.

In this new context, it is important to change the political nature of left-wing governments and mandates: instead of prioritizing institutional struggle, articulate it with popular mobilizations and promote the organization and struggles of the people; an essential policy to sustain and confront isolationist actions and structural conditions. The Brazilian Northeast could be a central reference point in this struggle and a stronghold of this resistance.

Prioritizing the resumption of dialogue with the population and the organization of the masses. Inaugurated by the Popular Brazil Front, in the organization of the people's congress, it must be resumed permanently. Debating and raising awareness among the population about economic and social losses is the basis for confronting real problems: poverty, lack of food, mortality, violence, health, and education.

Ivan Alex He is the National Secretary of Popular Movements for the Workers' Party (PT).