Brazil — charity should begin at home

BrookesNews.Com ^ | 10 June 2003 | Maria Lucia Victor Barborsa

[Tailgunner Joe]

"Charity begins at home", said my Aunt Silvia, commenting on another aunt of mine who was most active in the church parish. She used to let her unruly children loose at home by themselves, free to play every sort of pranks and tricks they could imagine.

Brazil's President Lula, in spite of his declining popularity, maintains a remarkable prestige in the Land of Carnivals. Giving autographs, applauded as he passes, he is besieged by common people craving to hug him to seize that unique magical moment that power can bestow face to face; seizing a feeling of importance being side by side with authority can make possible. As if such glory, such power could be injected in the common man just through an illusory pat on the back…

But the president has not ceased to demonstrate that his aims are very much beyond 'home'. Even before taking office he paid visits to South American countries, also showing up in the United States to exchange pleasantries with President Bush.

Lula has been visited as well. Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, a Marxist dictator posing as a democrat, has grown fond of Brazil — and occasionally drops by to visit his Brazilian pal. No surprise here. Last time he came, he flew back with $1 billion offered by our highest leader in a noble display of heart.

Also, Néstor Kirchner has been to Brasília even before he became president of Argentina (after Carlos Menem resigned the election in the second round). Kirchner wishes to implement the "Hunger Zero" program. He behaved, while campaigning, like your regular ideologically driven left-wing politician, but is expected to move to a pragmatic social-democratic discourse as soon as he takes office — much as Lula did.

He said Brazil will be his first choice for an international visit as a newly elected president. Once again expressing his generosity to the world, president Lula has sent a BNDES (Social and Economic Development National Bank) team to Buenos Aires to negotiate a credit line worth $1 billion to the new government.

Another great achievement (at least to outsiders) was the Brazilian President's proposition to the BIRD of an international fund to fight famine. Bearing in mind that any results of the "Hunger Zero" project are still to be seen, Lula will take the idea to the next G-8 summit. Undoubtedly, he will be enthusiastically applauded. It is a perfect example of "do as I say, not as I do".

While this mess takes place within the highest circles of power, I was travelling by modest means (by bus) from Londrina to Guarapuava — two cities in the state of Paraná. This state has 22% of its people below the so-called "poverty line" and more than 70% of its cities with an HDI (Human Development Index) lower than the Brazilian average.

The bus stopped at a small town bus station for lunch. At the only snack bar, I ordered a sandwich. The owner said there was no food since there were no customers with money who could afford to buy a simple sandwich! According to him "people are impoverished and unemployed". He noted that some little restaurant owners were closing their doors for the same reason.

We should, therefore, remind the government that its children, that is "unemployment", "inflation", "high interest rates" and "taxes", are the ones in mischief! We could use more working on domestic issues and less self-promoting, Mr. President! Or, as my Aunt Silvia would have said: "charity begins at home".