When Brazilians dare to mock Pele, against the backdrop of a football tournament, and protest poor governance and pathetic public facilities, then something is amiss. Football is religion in Brazil and Pele the game’s presiding deity. Yet, he came in for ridicule when asking the protesters to focus on the exploits of the national team in the Confederations Cup and stop demonstrating over poor public services, rising inflation and corruption.
The Confederations Cup is seen as a test run for the World Cup which Brazil will host next year. The government, headed by President Dilma Rousseff, which backed the winning bid, as well as the successful submission for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, has proved to be myopic in addressing the woes of the people.
Small demonstrations have turned into violent protests, with more than a million Brazilians taking to the streets, illustrating the vast gap between the rich and the less privileged.
Price hikes against inflation has forced the common man to remind the authorities that the billions of dollars spent on sporting events and construction of infrastructure could have been used for the well-being of the people.
The authorities must address the ground reality. Rousseff should understand that the dissatisfaction is being fanned by the country’s middle class, the most powerful segment in a nation’s social framework. Therefore, a verdict has already been reached. The president must carry it out.
