South of Brazil seeks independence
After the independence referendum of Catalonia, many secessionist movements around the world have gained momentum
Leer en Español: El sur de Brasil busca su independencia
Brazil has more than 8’500.000 km2 of land and more than 204’000.000 people. It is also a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities. Some would say that in the north, afro-Brazilians made a culture of their own different from that of Rio de Janeiro, where carnival, parties, and touristic hotspots define them. Meanwhile, Sao Paulo has it owns lifestyle that is also different from that of the Gauchos near the border with Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay.
**The Gaucho’s region has their own history and culture**
The gauchos are the “cowboys” of Brazil; they have some similarities with the Uruguayans and some Argentineans due to the fact that in that specific area, Germans decided to settle and create their own culture. In the city of Blumenau in Santa Catarina, German is the official language along with Portuguese.
Due to these drastic cultural variations, the south of Brazil argues that it has the economic force to be an independent nation. The states of Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, and Paraná produce around the 16% of the national GDP. Due to this, the movement “O Sul é Meu País” (The south is my country) is asking for independence from the rest of the country.
On October 7th, the Brazilians states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Paraná organized an informal referendum asking their citizens if they want independence from the central power. The polls were located in the 80% of the 497 municipalities of the three states.
The results of the referendum have no legal obligations. However, the independence movement hopes that this “plebisul” (referendum of the south) increases the pressure on the government.
Brazil is passing through a financial and political crisis. The economy of the South American giant underwent 2 years of recession due to the drop in the price of crude. Also, corruption scandals splashed former presidents Luis Inacio Lula da Silva and Dilma Roussef, the current head of state, Michel Temer, and 59% of the Congress is under investigation for corruption.
In October of 2016, 95% of the 616.000 people voted in favor of creating an independent country in the south of Brazil
This is not the first time where O Sul É Meu País organized a referendum. In October of 2016, 95% of the 616.000 people voted in favor of creating an independent country in the south of Brazil.
Latin American Post | Santiago Gómez Hernández
Copy edited by Susana Cicchetto
