Brazil’s Vinegar Revolt: What’s Next?
Last month, Brazil’s cities saw large protests that started over bus fare hikes in São Paulo but swelled into overall discontent with corruption and government failures in public services. More than one million people turned out on June 20 to protest poor medical and educational services, high cost of living, and wasteful spending around the World Cup and Olympics.
These protests were characterized by the involvement of a newly vocal middle class and spread rapidly through social media. Dilma Rousseff’s government rushed to respond by capitulating to some of the protesters’ demands, including accelerated investments in hospitals and medical services in rural areas and an additional USD$23 billion for urban public transportation. But in a contradictory nod to austerity, the government paired these additional spending promises with a generic commitment to fiscal responsibility.
At a recent event, Heloisa Griggs and Denis Mizne discussed what the movement means for Brazil’s internal political processes.
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