Violent protests broke out in 15 Brazilian cities after the country's Senate has approved a controversial 20-year-old law of austerity. A constitutional amendment to impose a limit on state spending that would limit the Federal investment in social programs over the next 20 years.
The Senate of Brazil approved a bill of costs, and as expected, it will come into force on Thursday. The President of Brazil, Michael Temer - which took office in late August praised the law, citing "the first amendment, which pull the country out of recession." The government hopes that limiting costs in conjunction with the proposed pension reform will lure investors back to Brazil, to put an end to the worst recession in decades.
Plans to reduce government spending are incompatible with the obligations of Brazil on human rights and put the country into a "socially regressive group," according to UN special Rapporteur Philip Alston on the question of extreme poverty and human rights. "It's completely inappropriate to freeze only the social spending and tie the hands of future governments for two decades," said Alston in a statement. "It will hit the poorest and most vulnerable Brazilians. Will lead to increased inequality in an already very unequal society, and finally indicates that social rights are a very low priority for Brazil over the next 20 years," added Alston.