200,000 Protesters in Brazil; A Closer Look At The Reasons For the Mobs

Protests in Brazil gathered in intensity over the weekend, and on Monday night over 200,000 protesters took to the streets in major Brazilian cities from Rio de Janiero to Sao Paulo and the capital of Brasilia in what is quickly becoming the largest anti-government movement since the nation turned away from military dictatorship towards democracy in 1985.

But what's causing the unrest? Like with any large-scale protest, the reasons are multiple and evolving, however a few common themes have emerged.

1.     Fare Hikes

Many protests start with a small cause and then morph into something larger; in Brazil, that small thing is bus fare. This June, the city of Sao Paulo began charging R$0,20 more per ride, or approximately nine U.S. cents. That lead to localized protests by a group called the Free Fare movement. Harsh government repression of protesters was reported and shared via social media, morphing the dialogue into a discussion about...

2.     The World Cup

Next year, Brazil will host the 2014 World Cup, and the country is further slated to host the 2016 Summer Olympics as well. As a result, the Brazilian government has invested $14 billion dollars into building up stadiums and infrastructure to better prepare for the tourist boom coming. That's left a sour taste in the mouths of many Brazilians, who feel like the government should do a better job addressing...

3.     Income Inequality

Wealth in Brazil is dispersed unevenly; very unevenly. According to a 2009 Human Development report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),  the richest ten percent of Brazilians earn, on average 40.6 times more than the poorest ten percent. That makes Brazil the tenth most unequal country in the world. The United States - which saw its own protests about income inequality two years ago with Occupy Wall Street - has its top earners making 15.6 times more than its bottom. In the western European nation of Finland, that ratio is 5.6. Of course, Brazilians are worried that's not changing because of...

4.     Political Corruption

Many of the Brazilian protesters accuse the lawmakers of creating laws that merely serve their own interests.  The PEC 37, a constitutional amendment, would strip the investigative powers of the public ministry (Brazil's District Attorneys). Several recent corruption scandals have ended without convictions, and publicly elected politicians are to make up to $27,000/month in a country sorely lacking in quality education and hospitals.

It's all enough to make people take to the streets, and in astonishing numbers. Only time will tell what the final outcome is.