Não ao Golpe - No to the coup!

If the Panama Papers confirmed the reality of concealed power by showing us the partial face of the Establishment, the coup that is being staged against President Dilma Rousseff in Brazil reminds us of those dark days when democratically elected governments in Latin America used to be overtaken by violent coups sponsored by the wealthy Establishment and staged by military juntas. However, unlike those dark decades between the 50s and 90s, here we have a global hegemonic system that confirms two scenarios: The first is that the local Establishment is bound to resist any radical democracy that gives way to social justice through an equitable system that rebalances wealth through progressive taxation, transparency, and clean governance. Secondly, the division between a capitalist "West" and a socialist “East” is a myth that was convenient for the players of the Cold War as they divvied up the spoils of World War II, but which does not work anymore. As the Guardian editorial of 12 May puts it, Dilma’s “own faults, which even her defenders concede are substantial, contributed to her downfall. But what is clear is that it is not only her career that has crashed, but the Brazilian...