There is a real life soap opera taking place in Brazil that seems never-ending – its story can be told with only one word ‘Corruption’. It is International Anti-Corruption Day today, and so I thought it only apt to write a post about one of the most significant and damaging aspects of Brazilian life.
Brazil received a score of only 3.8 out of 10 on Transparency International’s 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) (where 0 means that a country is perceived as highly corrupt and 10 means that a country is perceived as very clean) which was published this month. It is perhaps not surprising then that since the end of last year a total of six government ministers have resigned or been sacked from their jobs (from the ministries of transport, agriculture, tourism and sport) as well as the President’s chief-of-staff, as a result of the written media here uncovering various ethics and corruption scandals. The accusations, backed up with almost irrefutable evidence, include: – influence-peddling, bribe-taking, making fraudulent deals with shell companies and diverting public funds into party funding or their own pockets.
The most recent resignation came from yet another governmental department – the Ministry of Labor. The then Minister, Carlos Lupi, was accused of presiding over deals that included ‘kick-backs’ for the government, enjoying free flights from contractors, and taking money from the department to fund what are now thought to be nearly completely ‘phantom’ NGOs (non-governmental organisations). Uncovered by the magazine Veja, the accusations were shocking, but Carlos Lupi failed to go quietly (or in fact with any dignity). At one point he was reported saying he would only leave if hit by a bullet, “and it would have to be a heavy bullet, because I’m a really heavy guy,” he said. He added that he “doubted” that Dilma would sack him, “because of the trust that she has in me.” Two days later, keen to go back on his previous rather rash words, he apologized and said: “President Dilma, I’m sorry. I love you.” Yes…the Minister of Labour said ‘I love you’ to the President…cue the many videos and photos of Lupi looking admiringly at President Dilma etc. Carlos Lupi finally resigned last week when the Ethics Committee of the Presidency of Brazil unanimously decided he should be dismissed for mismanagement.
These corruption scandals are of great embarrassment to President Dilma, who is the first female President of Brazil. She has though inherited the legacy of the previous President – Lula da Silva, who despite his popularity with the people, allowed corruption to run rife in his government, with even himself facing accusations. Dilma has endeavored to try to clean up the more obvious corrupt activities within her new government, but her task is a monumental and perhaps insurmountable one. Other accusations, yet to be confirmed, include a man who walked the halls of the Agricultural Ministry making payoffs from a suitcase; kickbacks at the Sports Ministry, where the now ex-minister apparently stored the money in his garage; the arrest of 36 Tourism Ministry officials for alleged embezzlement via fake companies…the list goes on and on – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtEu2l45MXg.
Furthermore, corruption in Brazil is not confined to Central Government, oh no, you can see corruption at nearly every level from local government to big and small business, to the police, to schools – in fact its safe to say wherever there’s bureaucracy (and in Brazil there is a lot) there is a chance for corruption. Of course this can be said of every country, however, it is the ease in which the guilty and their corrupt acts slip through the system unnoticed in Brazil that is the most shocking.
Most Brazilian people, that I know, see corruption as a sad yet normal factor of their everyday life. Time and time again when you see yet more accusations of corruption in the news here I see Brazilians shrug their shoulders. It is understandable of course, it is obvious that for the average Brazilian another corrupt minister pocketing money in Brasilia is not something they can really do anything about. However, recently I have sensed a growing voice of discontent that is getting more and more vocal and I believe that this will only grow louder, putting further and further more pressure on the government here, particularly President Dilma, to take even more radical steps at ‘cleaning up’ the system.
The saddest consequence of corruption here in Brazil is the fact that it takes the money away from where it is supposed to be – invested in the Brazilian people. Brazil is a country with huge potential, and Brazilians are some of the most hardworking people I know, but corruption is holding this country back from fulfilling its potential, and the longer it does the more the Brazilian people will suffer.
If you have an opinion about corruption here in Brazil, or indeed worldwide, send me your comments below….
abritishgirlinbrazil 