Anglicans in Brazil are continuing to stand-by the country’s embattled President, Dilma Rousseff, claiming that attempts to impeach her are a right-wing attempt to scupper her party’s endeavours to support Brazil’s poor and marginalised.
ACNS:
The Primate of Brazil, the Most Revd Francisco de Assis da Silva, and the Province’s House of Bishops have both issued statements in support of the President.
“Essentially, we are witnessing an attempted coup by right wing politicians who represent the interests of Brazil’s wealthy minority and want to put a stop to social welfare for the poor,” the Revd Joabe Cavalcanti, a former a trade union leader in Brazil who now serves as a trustee for the Anglican Mission agency United Society. “Since the dark days of the continent’s military dictatorships, South America has come a long way. Democracy has been embraced.
“Now many people fear that those achievements could be put in peril by the current undemocratic, non-electoral and non-judicial attempts to overthrow Brazil’s elected president.”
In an interview with the United Society, Archbishop da Silva, said that he is continuing to support President Rousseff and her party in their efforts to improve the lives of the poor.
“What we are seeing is the emergence of a political alliance between Brazil’s wealthy elite and Christian conservatives in an attempt to stop social advances for the poor. These people are opposing legislation that supports women and education for all.
“I find it shocking that MPs are using the name of God to justify their attempts to impeach President Rousseff. They are trying to give a religious justification for their attempts to block social welfare initiatives being put forward by the president.”