Workers invade assembly in Rio to protest austerity programs
Thousands of Brazilian public servants and pensioners have stormed the legislative assembly in Rio de Janeiro in protest against the state's proposed austerity plans.
Governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz Fernando Pezao, has proposed an austerity program in an attempt to avoid the country’s critical financial disaster.
On Friday, Pezao gave news of more austerity measures including cuts to social programs, increase in tax for retirees, increase in sales tax and the rise of transportation fees.
He warned that workers might not receive their salaries in full in 2017 unless the reform measures are enforced.
His ideas about this program are highly in line with de facto President Michel Temer's austerity agenda at the federal level.
The protesters are particularly angry with the government's planned cuts to education and health sectors, calling the policy fascism and cruel capitalism.
The public sectors workers had demanded to meet with the state representatives in the legislature. However after being denied the chance, they burst into the building. The number of protesting workers was estimated at 10,000.
Earlier this week, the Brazilian government froze Rio de Janeiro’s state bank accounts over millions of dollars in overdue debt.
In June, Rio announced that it has been struggling with its finances for over two years, owing to many reasons such as the massive spending for the 2016 Summer Olympics and the downturn in the Brazilian economy. During this period, the state had no choice but to receive huge amounts of money from the federal government to pay off the debts for salaries of public employees.
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