The objectives of the coup are to seize Brazil's wealth and to cripple the nation.

Da Current Brazil Network - According to lawyer Ricardo Gebrim, former president of the São Paulo State Lawyers' Union and leader of the Popular Consultation Movement, the offensive against democracy in Brazil is driven by the interest of international capitalism in the country's wealth. Hence the fact that the privatization of large national companies is the main objective of the coup-plotting sectors represented by Michel Temer. "What determines this offensive is the crisis (of capitalism). Nothing offers as much potential for profit as Petrobras and the pre-salt reserves, which provide a way out of the capitalist crisis," he said.

Gebrim participated, along with journalist Paulo Moreira Leite, director of the website. Brazil 247 in Brasília, from the debate “Corruption and Politics: is Brazil a lost cause?”, promoted last night (8) by the Barão de Itararé Center for Alternative Media Studies and the São Paulo School of Sociology and Politics Foundation (FespSP). Deputies Wadih Damous (PT-RJ) and Luciana Santos (PCdoB-PE), due to scheduling conflicts, did not participate.

The two debaters emphasized the importance of continuing the fight against Temer's interim government and deepening the unity of popular forces and social movements.

According to Gebrim, the ongoing coup in Brazil is part of a policy linked to "the state interests of the United States," although, according to him, these interests do not necessarily originate from the American government. In his opinion, the popular governments of Brazil have bothered the Americans by entering into "a large-scale alliance, the BRICS."

“Nothing will generate more profit for corporations than the coup in Brazil. Changing the regulatory framework for the pre-salt oil fields was the main reason for the coup,” he said. And that's not all: “We have 46% of the electricity sector to privatize and feed capitalism in crisis. The main objective is to seize these resources essential to sovereignty,” said Gebrim.

Paulo Moreira Leite also mentioned American interests in Dilma's impeachment. "It's easier to learn about the interim president on WikiLeaks than in the Brazilian press. That's where we found out he was an informant for the United States embassy." A day after Temer's inauguration (on May 12th), WikiLeaks stated on Twitter that Temer had provided information to the United States when he was a federal deputy in 2006.

“The goal of this coup is to make Brazil unviable as a nation,” said the journalist. “The priority is attacking the pre-salt oil reserves and Petrobras, which would allow for a better distribution of income in our country.” He believes that reforms to the pension system and the Unified Health System (SUS) will follow.

In Gebrim's opinion, the coup strategies developed to remove Dilma Rousseff in Latin America began in Honduras (2009), were refined in Paraguay (2011), and arrived in Brazil in a more sophisticated form. According to him, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange demonstrated that the idea of ​​overthrowing Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, an ally of Russia, was to "link him to corruption" using a "state apparatus" comprised of police officers, members of what would be the equivalent of our Public Prosecutor's Office, and judges. "There is a refinement of this system in Brazil," the lawyer stated.

According to him, after the highly polarized climate of the 2014 election, decided by activists in the streets, President Dilma made a mistake by exiting that process "and starting 2015 with fiscal adjustments," when the situation was no longer the same as in 2003, when Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva began his government after the Letter to the Brazilian People.

However, according to Gebrim, the coup in Brazil was precipitated by its executors. "Because of this haste, we were 'saved' by Eduardo Cunha, who created the conditions for us to denounce the coup. And it is because of this that we may face a political defeat, but it will not be a moral defeat."

"Gaps"

The lawyer listed four "gaps" in the Lula and Dilma governments that, according to him, facilitated the execution of the coup against Dilma: the lack of policies that developed the "organizational capacity" of the masses; the lack of reforms to the media and the political system; the use, by the Workers' Party, of a system of corporate donations to campaigns; and the absence of policies aimed at the middle class.

To illustrate the consequences of a lack of awareness policies, he said that, in 2015, a survey showed that 65% of students who entered university through ProUni were against Bolsa Família.