Klaus Hart Brasilientexte

Data from the federal government shows: 17.5% of Brazilian Amazonia is a deforested area.  Of this total, 62% was turned into pasture for bulls and cows. Satellite images prove that by 2008 an area of 719,000 km2 – three times the state of Sao Paulo or a little less than the size of Chile – had had all the trees cut down. Rivers and lakes have been polluted, for sure.

Contrary to what we imagine, agriculture – particularly in the case of the production of grains like soya – occupies less than 5% of the total deforested area.

The principal weapon in the devastation of Amazonia is the chain saw, it cuts down trees and opens up very low productivity grassland to the point where an area the size of a football field can be occupied by a single bull.

There are 71 million head of cattle in Amazonia. Practically all are raised to produce beef for export.  Most cattle breeders are unable to assure the productivity of their herds as well as preserving  the forest. Investment which assures productivity combined with preservation is expensive and requires at least 5000 heads of cattle.

Satellites monitored by the federal government reveal, however, that there are large areas of Amazonia in the process of recovery – i.e. 21% of what has been deforested.  This means a total of 150.8 Km2 which is close to 100 times the size of the city of Sao Paulo.

Considering the data presented by INPE (National Institute for Space Research) and by Embrapa (Brazilian Enterprise for Agriculture and Stock Raising Research), there is no sense in decreeing a moratorium for those responsible for the deforestation of Amazonia as was proposed in the text of the new Forest Code (Código Florestal) supported by Science and Technology Minister Aloizio Mercadante .

However, the project for the Code must be reformulated and heavy fines and punishment must be handed out to those responsible for the use of chain saws which, as they deforest, provoke an increase in global warming and environmental imbalance.

In order to preserve the Amazon, we need an agrarian reform adapted to its wonderful ecosystem rather than forest codes and controls, so as to stop the predatory activity of agro business, the latifundium and mining companies.

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CHARACTER SKETCH OF A CORRUPT PERSON

Frei Betto*
Public demonstrations in several cities demand the end of the secret vote in Congress, the CNJ’s (National Council for Justice) right to investigate and punish judges, the use of the Clean File (Ficha Limpa) in the 2012 elections and the combating of corruption in politics.

Why is there so much corruption in Brazil? We have laws, a judiciary system, police forces and an observant media. Impunity – the mother of the corrupt – prevails however. Do you know a notoriously corrupt Brazilian? Has he been tried and is he in prison?

The corrupt person does not admit to being corrupt. He is smart, moved by ambition for money. He is not really a thief. He is a high class extortionist, soft spoken, with a pleasant smile and polite affected salaams. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The corrupt person does not expose himself, he extorts. He considers commissions to be his right; a percentage as payment for his services; misapplication of funds as a way of appropriating what belongs to him and cash off the books as election investment. Fools are those who practise influence peddling with no benefit to themselves.

There are several types of corrupt persons. The official one uses his civil servant status to gain advantages for himself, his family and friends. He switches the number plate on his car, sends his wife on trips paid for by the Exchequer, uses a government budget credit card, spends money and makes the taxpayer pay. He considers over billing, the lack of tenders and competition with marked cards to  be normal

His logic is corrupt: “If I don’t take advantage of the situation, someone else will benefit in my place”. His only fear is being caught red handed. He is not ashamed to look in the mirror, he is simply afraid of seeing his name printed in newspapers and his face on TV.

The corrupt person has no scruples about giving or receiving cases of whiskey at Christmas, expensive gifts from suppliers or sponsoring holidays for judges. They soften him with courtesy and, therefore, he relaxes the bureaucracy which retains public funds.
Some are corrupt privately. They never mention amounts, they merely insinuate. They are kings of metaphor. They are never direct. They go round in circles, certain that those who are listening can read between the lines.

The “Franciscan” corrupt person takes from here and gives over there. His motto is “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”. He does not show off his wealth, he does not travel abroad, he pretends to be poor in order to better cover up his shady business. He is the first to become indignant when the subject of corruption comes up.

The corrupt show-off spends what he has not earned, builds mansions, fills his land with cattle, convinced that being a sycophant is equal to friendship and that a smile of complicity is blindness.

The accomplice corruptor watches the video of the member of parliament who pocketed a hidden tip and yet pretends not to believe what he sees. He absolves her so that he too will later be absolved.

The cautious corrupt person keeps an eye on the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics. He knows that the 2007 Rio Pan American Games which were budgeted at R$800 million cost R$4 billion.

The corrupt person does not smile, he makes a good impression, he does not say hello, he shakes hands, he does not offer praise, he flatters, he has no values, merely a bank account. He corrupts himself in such a way that he no longer realises that he is corrupt. He considers himself a successful negotiator.

He is mellifluous and confused, he gets close to honest people so as to stay in their shadow and treats subalterns with a hardness that makes him appear to be the most honest of human beings.

While those who are corrupt in Brazil do not go to prison, we voters can at least prevent them from being elected to public office next year.