Brazilians protest pension reform as Bolsonaro faces first general strike
A nationwide strike called by Brazil's trade unions disrupted public transport and triggered roadblocks across the country Friday, ahead of protests against far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's pension reform plans.
Hours before the opening match of the Copa America in São Paulo, some metro lines in the country's biggest city were paralyzed as professors and students protested planned education spending cuts as well.
It will be the latest mass demonstration against Bolsonaro since he took office in January - but the timing could not be worse for the embattled president as Brazil prepares to play Bolivia in South America's showcase football tournament.
Bolsonaro's right-wing administration is now languishing at around 35% job approval just five months after taking office. Rejection of increasingly authoritarian tactics is being exacerbated by an economic downturn:
GDP slid 0.2% in the first quarter. Compared to the first quarter of 2018, GDP grew only 0.5% - its worst result in two years.
This was followed by reports that unemployment rose another 0.5% in April, to 12.5%.
At: https://www.france24.com/en/20190614-brazil-cities-paralysed-bolsonaro-general-strike-pension-reform
Brazilian demonstrators gather under a sign calling on lawmakers to "stop Bolsonaro's pension reform."
The initiative, inherited from the 2016-18 Temer dictatorship, increases contribution requirements and minimum retirement ages - as well as cutting average pensions by up to 40%.
Following successive raises during the Workers' Party era (2003-16), the average monthly pension in Brazil stands at $467 - one of the highest in Latin America.
