Marina Silva and José Gustavo, Sustainability Network Party (REDE) spokespersons. Rede Sustentabilidade. All rights reserved.
Francesc Badia: We are in São Paulo with Marina Silva and José Gustavo, national spokespersons for the Sustainability Network Party (REDE). Brazil is experiencing a complex political moment which, despite its apparent legality, presents a legitimacy deficit. This produces high additional political tension but is likely to end up consolidating a series of regressions which were already in operation under the previous government, but which seem to be accelerating under the current one. What do you think of this situation?
Marina Silva: We are living through a very difficult time in Brazil. In my view, the current economic crisis is based on a political one. Brazil chose the wrong politicians and did not take the necessary economic measures to face the crisis of 2008. Dilma made the same mistakes so as to maintain her popularity and win the elections in 2014. Until recently, Brazil was close to full employment. Today, we have 12 million unemployed. Brazil kept low interest rates, but now they run at double digits. We barely managed to achieve a fiscal balance, and now we are faced with a deficit that jeopardizes any investment capacity, even in the key sectors of the economy, which are now also in crisis.
