GEORGETOWN, Guyana - There is not a lot in Brazil that is more important than football but on Wednesday, not even Brazil’s victory over Mexico in the Confederation Cup could divert attention from the wave of protests that have shaken the country this week. Indeed, the news that the authorities of Brazil’s largest cities, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, were backing down on a planned bus fare hike in the face of mass demonstrations, and the fact that a protest of some 30,000 people took place in Fortaleza at the same time as the game against Mexico there, were arguably of greater significance than the much-needed football result.
The reversal of the fare increase has not, however, put a stop to the protests. These were expected to spread to over 50 cities nationwide yesterday and there was even a small demonstration by Brazilian nationals in front of the Brazilian Embassy in Georgetown.
Earlier this week, there were protests involving more than 200,000 people in at least a dozen Brazilian cities. They may have been sparked by a small one on June 2 against the proposed fare increase in São Paulo but the ensuing mass demonstrations have reflected more general discontent with official corruption, urban crime, poor social services and the rising cost of living; a disproportionate police response in some cases has not helped to soften the people’s mood.