BRASILIAN PRESIDENT LOSES ANOTHER MINISTER

BRAZIL TRANSPORT MINISTER STEPS
DOWN ON CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS

http://www.bloomberg.com - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s government saw its second minister resign in a month amid corruption charges yesterday.  Transport Minister Alfredo Nascimento resigned four days after two of his top aides quit, one was suspended, and one went on official vacation in the wake of an article in “Veja” magazine that alleged irregularities in the granting of contracts. The Transport Ministry on July 5 suspended for 30 days its auctions to award contracts for public works and services.  Nascimento is a member of the Party of the Republic, which is allied with Rousseff’s ruling coalition in Congress. The party has 40 members in the 513-seat lower house and seven in the 81-seat Senate.  The scandals have exacerbated tensions within Rousseff’s 10-party coalition and distracted Congress from debating major economic reforms.

The resignation shows that Rousseff’s relationship with her allies is likely to be more “fraught with tension” than that of her predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as she tries to rein in spending, said Christopher Garman, a director for Latin America at Eurasia Group, a Washington-based political risk group.  Rousseff aims to ramp up investment in transport infrastructure while simultaneously controlling spending to cool the fastest inflation since 2005.  Federal prosecutors are investigating Nascimento’s 27-year- old son, Gustavo Morais Pereira, who saw a company he founded increase in value to 50 million reais ($32 million), two years after being founded with capital of 60,000 reais, O Globo newspaper reported yesterday.

A new political crisis - the second in a month - broke out yesterday in the government of the president of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, after his transport minister was forced to resign by a series of allegations of corruption revealed by the press, including the payment of bribes and illicit enrichment.  Every time someone comes to power try to take advantage for himself or his family.  This is very common and this tendency does not depend on government policy.  This trend is very hard to beat in this material world.  

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?  

The tendency in this material world is that everyone is thinking that he shall be the best enjoyer, best enjoyer. So this is called struggle for existence. ... Even in communistic country, this Khrushchev was driven away. He was taking all advantages for his family, for himself. As soon as he got the post, he misused it. He gave his son-in-law very big post, his family members. That was detected, and he was charged that “You are using your influence, nepotism.” Therefore, he was driven away.  So this natural tendency, as soon as one gets power, he will try to utilize it.  This psychology you cannot stop in the material world. ...  Even an ant is violent.  As soon as it gets opportunity, it will bite you.  So this tendency of artificial supremacy means material life.  That is material life.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
“Room Conversation - London, August 26, 1973”
Complete Works of HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada