The document discusses the Black Bloc movement in Brazil and their tactics of violence and property destruction during protests. It describes the Black Bloc as anarchists who reject capitalism and are dissatisfied with the country's corrupt political system and ineffective government. While their tactics attract those who value radical democracy, the document argues this does not contribute to overthrowing capitalism. It concludes that the 2014 elections will be important for Brazil's future and could lead to increased political violence and social unrest if the needs of the population remain unmet or a new government is unable to enact real change.

1. BLACK BLOC: VANDALS, FASCISTS OR ANARCHISTS?
Fernando Alcoforado *
The violence of the popular demonstrations of June 2013 in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro
and other Brazilian cities brought like new fact the supporters of the "Black Bloc" who
are called by some analysts vandals and by other fascists and anarchists. Regardless of
the name assigned to them, there is no doubt that the violence of the protesters reflected
the dissatisfaction against the corrupt political institutions and Brazil and against the
central government that demonstrates inefficiency and utter inability to meet the
demands of society. Violence of supporters of the "Black Bloc" also has an anticapitalist and anti-globalization character because capitalism and globalization,
particularly financial, are considered the most responsible for the global crisis that
overwhelms the planet and the worsening economic and social situation worldwide .
The supporters of the "Black Bloc" emerged in Brazil also because much of the political
parties, unions and civil society organizations are omitted in the face of severe political,
economic and social situation experienced in our country considering that some of them
were co-opted by the current holders of the power, and others crushed by these
demonstrate complete inability to popular mobilization. In practice, the supporters of
the "Black Bloc" occupy the space claim abandoned by the political parties, unions and
civil society organizations that are supporting the PT government. The supporters of the
"Black Bloc" have not, however, a clear agenda of goals they want to achieve. The
supporters of the tactic "Black Bloc" preach the predations of private equity of large
companies (having as prime targets in Brazil, the banks and car dealerships). They do
this as a symbolic attack action to capitalist corporations and, ultimately, to capitalism
as a system.
The revolt of the supporters of "Black Bloc" was also demonstrated against the rulers of
Brazil in the depredation of government property which was also hit in the
demonstrations of June 2013. At the same time, its members advocate direct democracy
disqualifying with reason the institutions of representative democracy and the Brazilian
government that are at the service of national and international monopolies at the
expense of the interests of the population. Anarchist conceptions are generally very
attractive to those who value the radical democracy (direct) social justice in confronting
capitalism and its inequalities. However, this radical anarchist character does not
contribute to the overthrow of capitalism. Just evaluate the results of tactics "Black
Bloc" in the anti-globalization actions in Europe and the United States as the "Occupy
Wall Street". Take the example of Spain who, after the revolts of the " indignados", the
right returned to power in the next elections and economic policy of "austerity", adopted
by the Spanish neo-liberal People's Party, only deepened the recession and
unemployment, especially among young people.
One indisputable fact is that the left and right political- economic projects are
incompatible. To the left, the defense of social equality is an essential point. To the left,
is the fundamental role of the state to promote social equality. For this, taxes should be
levied in proportion to the wealth and income of citizens and businesses manner,
something which, as we know, does not occur in Brazil. Even the tax "great fortunes"
provisions of the 1988 Brazilian Constitution, was regulated. The agenda of the right,
on the other hand, is the freedom of business, even at the expense of the interests of the
majority and, especially, to the detriment of the rights of the poor and the population
suffered. What the supporters of the "Black Bloc" wish, besides facing the police and
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2. protagonists actions that symbolize the "overthrow of capitalism"? What project are the
supporters of the "Black Bloc"? From what can be read in the "Black Bloc" sites on the
internet, there is only the radical rejection of capitalism.
It should be noted that the "Black Bloc" tactic came within an alternative strand of the
European left in the early 1980s remained little known outside the Old Continent to the
end of the twentieth century. It was only with the formation of a "Black Bloc" during
the demonstrations against the WTO (World Trade Organization) in Seattle in 1999, the
black masks made headlines of the world press. It is therefore natural that many people
think the tactic has arisen with the so-called "anti-globalization movement" and has
been based since the beginning in the destruction of the symbols of capitalism. The
unfortunate misinformation on the subject is demonstrated by certain segments and
exponents of traditional Brazilian left that reached the point of qualifying tactic "Black
Bloc" as fascist. The supporters of the "Black Bloc" are neither vandals, strictly
speaking, not fascists. They are anarchists who arrived in Brazil through the influence
of the American experience. It is noteworthy that a "black bloc" is a group of militants
who choose to dress in black and cover their faces with masks of the same color to
avoid being identified and pursued by the forces of repression.
The rampant corruption in all branches of government and the inability of the Brazilian
government and political institutions in general to offer effective responses to the
demands of the population nowadays tend to increase political violence in Brazil,
especially in 2014 when elections will be held for the Presidency the Republic,
Governments of State and Parliament. Those in power will use all legal and illegal
weapons to remain in charge of the nation and your opponents will do anything to
ascend to power. The 2014 elections will be decisive for the future of Brazil because the
maintenance of PT or replacing by PSDB in power means the unmet needs of the
population with the continuity of neoliberal and anti-national policy that makes people
and the Brazilian nation unhappy since 1994. The Eduardo Campos victory in the
presidential elections in 2014 with the rise to power of the PSB can mean a radical
change in Brazilian life if there is a break with the neoliberal and anti-national policy of
the current government.
If there is a change at the helm of the nation with the adoption of a new economic and
financial policies diametrically opposed to the present, the future government will be
faced with opposition from disadvantaged economic sectors. The country may become
disorganized and convulsed as happened in the 1960s of the twentieth century when the
right masterminded the coup that overthrew President João Goulart. The chaos can
settle in Brazil with increasing manifestations of the population and the return of the
supporters of "Black Bloc" to the streets. In this context, the right that has always been
dedicated to the defense of the interests of the dominant classes and international
capital, attempts to articulate the support of certain segments of the society to get rid of
those in power. It is known that, historically, in times of social upheaval, right joins. In
an environment of social upheaval, violence amongst supporters of the "Black Bloc"
can provide the necessary justification for the right to sponsor a new coup d´état in
Brazil to maintain the neoliberal and anti-national policy in force .
Two scenarios need to be avoided at all costs by the Brazilian people to the 2014
elections: the first, the continuity of the current power holders because of the
demonstrated incompetence and lack of commitment the real interests of the nation that
can feed the social upheaval in the country and the second, the failure of a government
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3. opposed to current assuming that the power to adopt a policy to meet the interests of the
nation and the Brazilian people and that due to this fact, it faces obstacles that lead to
disorganization of country and also to the social upheaval. Both scenarios can thus
create the necessary justification for the right to sponsor a new coup d’état in Brazil to
maintain the neoliberal and anti-national policy in force if the developers of the current
government or an opposition government will take power and does not meet ability to
prevent the deepening economic and political crisis and social upheaval resulting
therefrom.
*
Alcoforado, Fernando, engineer and doctor of Territorial Planning and Regional Development from the
University of Barcelona, a university professor and consultant in strategic planning, business planning,
regional planning and planning of energy systems, is the author of Globalização (Editora Nobel, São
Paulo, 1997), De Collor a FHC- O Brasil e a Nova (Des)ordem Mundial (Editora Nobel, São Paulo,
1998), Um Projeto para o Brasil (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 2000), Os condicionantes do
desenvolvimento do Estado da Bahia (Tese de doutorado. Universidade de Barcelona,
http://www.tesisenred.net/handle/10803/1944, 2003), Globalização e Desenvolvimento (Editora Nobel,
São Paulo, 2006), Bahia- Desenvolvimento do Século XVI ao Século XX e Objetivos Estratégicos na Era
Contemporânea (EGBA, Salvador, 2008), The Necessary Conditions of the Economic and Social
Development-The Case of the State of Bahia (VDM Verlag Dr. Muller Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG,
Saarbrücken, Germany, 2010), Aquecimento Global e Catástrofe Planetária (P&A Gráfica e Editora,
Salvador, 2010), Amazônia Sustentável- Para o progresso do Brasil e combate ao aquecimento global
(Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, 2011) and Os Fatores Condicionantes do
Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2012), among others.
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