Holding the G20 in Brazil is a Shame

The G20 meeting, scheduled for the upcoming 18th and 19th in Rio de Janeiro, is taking place within the context of a deep capitalist crisis, with the working class increasingly harmed by neoliberal austerity plans. This context is marked by the rise of the far-right in various countries and several wars, such as in Ukraine and the genocide perpetrated by the State of Israel against Palestine, which now also extends to Lebanon.

The G20 is not an official organization, but in recent years, alongside the G7 [a group made up of so-called great powers: Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom, along with a representative of the European Union], the IMF, and the World Bank, it has dictated fiscal austerity plans, neoliberal projects, and privatizations to be applied in countries worldwide.

It comprises finance ministers and central bank leaders from the world's 19 largest economies, plus the African Union and the European Union.

Created during the economic crisis of the late 1990s, primarily in Mexico and Russia, the G20 was an initiative of American imperialism, aiming to involve other countries in an attempt to solve the economic crisis. In other words, the G20 was established to save capitalism from the economic crisis it had created.

This global meeting with heads of state led by imperialist countries occurs annually, rotating among member countries. Last year, it was held in India; next year, it will be in South Africa. This year, the presidency belongs to Brazil.

However, we believe President Lula should have refused to host the G20 in Brazil. It is outrageous to host a summit that only serves the interests of major imperialist powers like the United States and Europe, especially at a time when Israel is backed by complicit imperialist countries in the genocide of the Palestinian people.

The Brazilian government becomes complicit in imperialism and the genocide in Palestine by rolling out the “red carpet” for figures like Biden, Macron, Olaf Scholz, and Sergey Lavrov (who will represent Putin, who will not be attending).

Moreover, it is unacceptable that this meeting takes place in Brazil, a country that suffers directly from the consequences of imperialist dominance. These include environmental crises, labor precarization, privatizations serving the market, and the dismantling of public services necessary for a quality life, such as education and health.

But let us remember that Lula has long pursued a pro-imperialist agenda, so it is no surprise that he agreed to host the G20 here, which is a disgrace for Brazil. After all, in his first term, Lula made it a point to lead MINUSTAH (the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti), sending Brazilian troops to occupy Haiti.

The “Social G20” is a Sham

We also denounce the Brazilian government’s attempt to stifle any independent protest questioning this imperialist event.

The Brazilian president created a sham called the Social G20, involving major social organizations in the country. Claimed to be a space to discuss social issues for the G20, this event, held from November 14 to 16, seeks to control social movements to prevent protests in the city.

There is no “Social G20,” and there has never been one in any previous G20 edition. This is the first time we have a so-called “Social G20.”

We must sound the alarm that there is no “social imperialism.” Imperialism is synonymous with exploitation, plunder, and wars. Therefore, when Lula creates the “Social G20,” he is actually co-opting social movements into an imperialist trap to pacify social struggles worldwide.

At the “Social G20,” workshops will be held, and social movements will submit a letter of recommendations to the G20 governments. You don’t need to be an experienced activist to know that Biden (president of the United States), Macron (of France), or Olaf Scholz (of Germany) won’t even look at this letter. Imperialism couldn’t care less about social movements.

When we learned about the G20, we had already approved a resolution to build an international mobilization against the meeting. Earlier this year, we held meetings with some social movement organizations, primarily called by the People’s Summit, including Jubilee South, REBRIP, Quilombo Race and Class, which remains a key organizer of the event. The Movement of Landless Workers (MST), CUT, the World March of Women, black movements from Rio de Janeiro, and organizations from Rio’s favelas were also present. We built what we call the “People’s Summit Against the G20,” in unity with different social movement organizations.

But in recent weeks, CUT and MST decided to break away from the People’s Summit because, in a meeting they had with a Federal Government representative, the government made it explicit that Lula does not want any protests or demonstrations against imperialism and the G20 in our country.

CUT and MST, organizations closely linked to the government, then decided to withdraw from the Summit and will only participate in the “Social G20” as collaborators, presenting proposals to the G20. This is regrettable for the construction of popular unity against imperialism and also makes it clear that these organizations are increasingly tied to the government, abandoning the class struggle and the concrete struggles of workers in both urban and rural areas.

The People’s Summit and the Streets

Despite the Social G20, the People’s Summit persists. Most organizations have even reaffirmed the importance of having an independent summit. CSP-Conlutas is actively organizing this initiative.

The plan is for the People’s Summit to hold debates on topics such as the environment, indigenous peoples, LGBTQ+ issues, the black and women’s movements, and the attacks on the working class. It will also discuss the national campaign against genocide in Palestine, demanding that Lula break ties with Israel.

Wherever G20 meetings occur, social movement protests take place, whether in Europe or North America. Here, we will do the same. On Saturday morning, November 16, we will hold a large demonstration in Copacabana to repudiate the presence of imperialism in our country.

Herbert Claros - Member of the National Executive Secretariat of CSP-Conlutas and of the International Sector. Works at Embraer.