HBO's 'Last Week Tonight' Host John Oliver Breaks Down Political Turmoil in Brazil
In a little over 3 minutes, "Last Week Tonight" host John Oliver brilliantly summarized the current political crisis in Brazil, which revolves around congressional corruption and calls to impeach the country's president.
Oliver Summarizes Unrest, Protests
Using humor and wit, Oliver gave a succinct explanation of Brazil's political unrest, which began brewing a few years following an economic downturn. Thousands of protesters in the country recently hit the streets calling for the impeachment of President Dilma Rouseff, the head of the Worker Party, over allegations that she improperly used money from state banks to pay for budget shortfalls.
Protesters also accuse her of appointing former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as her chief of staff on Thursday in order to protect him from a money laundering investigation. Although she is still facing impeachment proceedings, many citizens have jumped to the conclusion that she is guilty and should forfeit her position. As a result, they are calling for her resignation and some even suggest a military coup.
Many Brazilian Legislators Face Separate Charges
During his monologue, Oliver noted that members of the Brazilian legislature are trying to impeach Rousseff despite the fact that many of them are also facing criminal charges.
"The Brazilian legislature is moving to impeach President Rousseff although they may not be in a great position to judge, given that 60 percent of them face criminal charges of some kind, ranging from fraud to homicide," said the HBO television host. "Think about that -- the Brazilian legislature potentially contains 40 percent fewer criminals, per capita, than the Brazilian prison system."
While some call to impeach Rouseff, thousands of supporters are rallying in her defense and in support of Lula. On Friday, up to 250,000 people turned out in support of Lula in São Paulo, while tens of thousands others rallied in other cities. The pro-government rallies were comprised of a mixture of working-class residents of different races and people who have benefited from government entitlement programs and innovative welfare policies under Lula and Rousseff's regime. According to them, government dissidents are calling for the president's impeachment in an attempted coup against a democratically elected government.
After crystallizing the political upheaval, Oliver ended his segment by tying the crisis back to American politics and the controversy over Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump.
"Let's all enjoy this brief moment of feeling superior to the political chaos of Brazil because it's exactly how the rest of the world will feel this summer watching the Republicans tear themselves apart denying the person who got the most votes the nomination," he said, referring to the possibility that the GOP might stage a brokered convention in order to prevent Trump from winning the nomination, even if he secures a plurality of GOP delegates.
Watch Oliver give a breakdown of the civil unrest in Brazil below.
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