World Social Forum: Lula’s betrayal of poor sparks anger

"LULA TRAITOR", "Lula your place is in Davos"*. These were just some of the
chants on the 3,000 strong protest which greeted Brazilian president Lula at
the fifth World Social Forum (WSF) in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Christine Thomas, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Speakers from PSOL, (the new socialist party initiated by MPs who were
expelled from Lula’s party, the PT, for opposing his anti-working class
policies) angrily attacked his pension, labour and education ‘reforms’. They
explained that it is not possible to serve two masters at the same time – the
working class and the capitalists. And Lula is ruling on the behalf of
international capitalism.

At the 2003 WSF, also in Porto Alegre, Lula, who had just been elected
president, was rapturously received. The 53 million Brazilians who voted for
him, especially the workers and poor, had enormous hopes that the election of
this former worker would transform their lives. Two years on and the nature of
Lula’s PT government is beginning to become clear.

Inside the Gigantinho stadium, 10,000 Lula supporters, many bussed in,
gathered to hear him speak. But the protest outside and the 300 protesters
inside the stadium reflected a growing opposition to his policies. He has gone
even further than the IMF demanded in balancing the budget and making cuts.
His labour reforms attack workers« rights and his education reforms will mean
more money for private universities.

When protesters inside the stadium called for more money for public
universities Lula called them "a privileged elite" who want to prevent the
poor from getting a university education! But it is Lula himself who is
governing on behalf of the privileged elite in Brazil and internationally.

Lula’s speech mainly concentrated on the major role he sees himself and
Brazil playing on the capitalist world stage. In Latin America Lula is
pursuing a regional imperialist role. He boasted of his recent attempts to
mediate between Colombia and Venezuela and described the Chavez government in
Venezuela as a Latin American and not a US "problem".

Although many PT members still have illusions in Lula because of his
background as a radical class fighter, others are leaving and joining PSOL.
The WSF organisers clearly realise the strength of feeling against Lula which
is why they approached the leadership of PSOL and asked them not to organise a
protest with loud speakers and anti-government slogans.

As opposition to Lula and the PT grows, the PSOL could potentially develop
into a major pole of attraction for workers and youth in Brazil. Socialismo
Revolucionario (CWI Brazil) is campaigning to build PSOL as a fighting
socialist party that can give a lead to the struggles of workers and poor in
Brazil now and in the future.


(*Davos, Switzerland, where the World Economic Forum (WEF) of world
capitalist leaders was being held at the same time as the WSF. Immediately
after speaking at the WSF rally Lula jetted to the WEF aboard his new $57
million presidential Airbus).