On Sunday 15 November the Brazilian people, battered by a pandemic that has already killed over 160,000 people, by record unemployment, and by the violence that principally affects black youth, women, and the LGBTI community, are going to the polls.
While the working class that is under threat from the virus and the lack of jobs battles for survival, the government of Jair Bolsonaro boycotts the production of the COVID-19 vaccine, announces the end of emergency aid from January, attacks the public service and public servants and offers up insults and bravado every day.
Saddened by the defeat of his boss, Trump in the United States, Bolsonaro sees himself being increasingly rejected by those in the main capitals of Brazil. All the while his candidates, such as Celso Russomano in São Paulo, fall behind in the opinion polls.
In turn, the parties of the traditional right, the Democrats (DEM), the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) and the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB), intend on resuming the space stolen from them by the far-right in 2018 and winning in a majority of capital cities. The left, the Party of Socialism and Freedom (PSOL), the Workers’ Party (PT), and the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB), are in the contest in big and medium-sized cities. The spotlight is on the possible victories of Edmilson Rodrigues (PSOL) in Belém, Manuela d’Ávila (Communist Party of Brazil – PCdoB) in Porto Alegre, and the chance of Homeless Workers’ Movement (MTST) leader and PSOL candidate Guilherme Boulos making the second round in São Paulo. But the electoral struggle is fierce, and the center-left parties, the Democratic Labor Party (PDT) and the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB), are also well placed in important capitals such as Recife, Fortaleza, and Rio de Janeiro.
The electoral result will point to a particular correlation of forces between parties and political leaders for the next few years. The main challenges for the left in this contest are, on the one hand, weakening Bolsonarismo and preparing the conditions for the overthrow of the Bolsonaro government on the streets, without waiting for the 2022 elections; and on the other, moving forward in the fight for a left-wing government, one without any alliances with the right and the ruling class.
In this sense, the most consistent left-wing vote is the vote for the PSOL. Both on the streets and in Congress, It is the most combative party against Bolsonarismo and in the defense of the rights of the working class and the oppressed. It is the party most connected to the struggles of working youth, and the black, feminist, LGTBI, indigenous, and environment movements. Last but not least, it is a party that puts forward a program of power for the working class, one without any alliances with the bourgeoisie and the right, that is, an anti-capitalist project.
Within the PSOL, the Resistência (Resistance) current, the driving force behind the Esquerda Online (Left Online) news site, is proud to be standing dozens of socialist candidates, who are workers, anti-racists, feminists, fighters against LGBTphobia, and ecosocialists. Their candidacies make the fight in these elections against Bolsonarismo their top priority, and raise an anti-capitalist and revolutionary program for working people. In addition to voting for the executive, it is also worth highlighting the importance of electing PSOL councillors to occupy the municipal councils with representatives that are committed to the struggle of the exploited and oppressed.
Inspired by the victory of the Bolivian people against the coup, the triumph of the Chilean people against the neoliberal constitution of Pinochet, and the defeat of Trump that the anti-racist uprising has imposed, we will vote this Sunday for ‘Fora Bolsonaro’ (Out with Bolsonaro). Vote 50! Let’s elect PSOL mayors and councillors!
This article is an English translation of “Vote pelo Fora Bolsonaro: vote 50, vote PSOL!”, [https://esquerdaonline.com.br/2020/11/14/vote-pelo-fora-bolsonaro-vote-50-vote-psol/], Esquerda Online (EOL), 14/11/2020.
Translation: Bobby Sparks
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