Good morning! Today, civil servants begin protests while the government looks on. Solar and wind increase their share of Brazil’s energy mix. Military is ranked among the world’s top 10 — but measurement is misleading.
Civil servants to send Bolsonaro a warning
At least 50 unions representing federal civil servants will participate or at least support protests scheduled for today in Brasília, as government employees demand raises from the Jair Bolsonaro administration. Two demonstrations will take place today, one in front of the Central Bank building and another in front of the Economy Ministry.
- Each protest will last for two hours, and participants are not expected to miss an entire day of work. But they warn that if their demands are not met, a general strike will follow in February.
Why it matters. If servants do go on strike, it could lead to a government shutdown, disrupting activities that are essential to the economy such as customs clearances and social security services.
Remember 2018. Four years ago, truck drivers switched off their engines and halted the economy for 11 days. The disruptions caused by the protest fueled public dissatisfaction and contributed to the rise of Jair Bolsonaro as an...