‘Fingers crossed’ for Brazil
There is huge interest from many political powers that the Brazillian National Squad win FIFA’s Confederation Cup.
Tension in Brazil grows.
Protests around the country haven’t stopped.
They have been growing in terms of scale and violence.
Today,the mayors and governors of two of the country’s biggest cities, Sao Paulo and Rio, have announced the ‘backing off’ of the proposed increase in bus fares.
In Sao Paulo, the proposed increase was of R$0.20 (less than $0.09).
The increase was the final spark that served as catalyst for a series of public manifestations.
After days of massive protests and chaos, those running the country’s most habited cities finally gave up to the pressure.
The ‘generous’ mayor of Sao Paulo has decided to cancel the raise.
The governor said the cut comes at ‘a great cost’ to private companies that have a cut in the management of the citiy’s public transportation.
The mayors and governors naively thought this would be the end of it.
They thought the population would buy into this cheap act of ammendment.
They were wrong.
Leaders of the movement that organize these public protests swear it isn’t over.
They voice the fact that the protests are about more than just the rise of the cost of bus fares.
Brazilians have grown tired of an expensive poor quality of life.
The internet, a more educated generation, and the fact that more Brazilians are travelling around the world has opened their eyes and motivated them to react to their crippling politicians.
Leaders amongst protests continue to organize public manifestations.
Through Facebook, they try and mobilize masses.
There is a guarantee of new manifestations this Saturday and on the 30th of this month.
They hope to attract more than the 600 000 people that took the streets of their respective cities yesterday.
Senators, congressmen, governors and ministers are pulling their hair out in the country’s capital Brasilia.
Tense and desperate, they don’t know what to do.
Nor do they know how far this ‘situation’ will go.
They never expected protests to last so long.
Especially because the Confederation Cup has been going on and the national team has been winning.
Historically, football has been ‘eye drops’ for the population.
Relieving people from their precarious and miserable lives.
Lives of poverty, high taxes, and terrible state services.
Not this time.
Some politicians in Brasilia already have begun going creative on solutions to their problems.
Some ludicrously try to architect a plan that involves freezing the country’s access to Facebook or even the Internet as a whole.
This would disable a powerful tool of protest organization.
Rumours that internet has already been ‘screwed around with’ spread.
Yesterday, internet across the nation was slow and choppy.
Who cares whether it’s anti-democratic?
Brazil isn’t a democracy in the first place.
The ‘idea’ is that the ignorant people have no power to make real changes.
That’s how Brazil rolls.
Another crazy idea would be to manipulate the Confederation Cup so that Brazil wins.
Giving the people a reason to celebrate rather than protest.
Nobody puts up a good fight when in a good mood.
The powers that run the country would be willing to appeal to their ‘good-old’ tactic.
Using football as a political shield.
And a social driver.
Politicians already have their fingers crossed.
They really need Brazil to win.
On the contrary, a disappointment could even worsen the already terrible scenario.
Help from FIFA to execute the ‘master plan’ would be ideal too.
Ironically, the organization responsible for football across the globe has every reason to collaborate.
FIFA is expected to profit $4 Billion (USD) from the tournament next year.
The statistics comes from the South American Football Federation’s website.
That is, if they sell enough tickets and merchandising.
The more people watching the games, the more they make out of TV commercials.
Other private companies have billion dollar deals tied up with the event.
But nobody wants to come to a country in civil guerilla.
Brazil is a social war zone right now.
Most protesting has been pacific and non-violent.
However, there is always a minority that takes things too far.
Breaking into acts of violence and vandalism.
Confronting the police.
The entire situation, reported in global news mediums, is scaring off potential tourists.
Brazilians home and abroad plead foreigners not to come.
They ask that they don’t support this expensive tournament.
The 15 BILLION dollar event is seen as a waste by most.
Money that could be spent in education or health.
Or infra-structure for public transportation.
FIFA is worried.
The entity’s high men Joseph Blatter and Jerome Valcke know the importance of ending these protests.
They also know how important a Brazilian football triumph could help that happen.
For now, they hope the Brazilian talent will be enough to carry them through.
But they are not convinced.
Especially after seeing the Spaniards play.
Their fingers as well as the ones of those that run the country are crossed.
For their sake Brazil needs to win.
It is in the interest of many powerful groups.
Who do you think will win the cup? Spain?
All my bets are for Brazil…
