Fernando Haddad, mayor of Sao Paolo. (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

The Brazilian capitals of Alegre, Pelotas, and Recife amongst others have agreed to scrap the controversial increase in public transport fares following massive protests. More than 200,000 people have so far taken to the streets.

In the city of Porto Alegre, in the Southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, bus fares will be reduced to R$3.05 or R$2.80 facilitated by a tax waiver announced by the city’s mayor José Fortunati.

The city of Pelotas in turn has reduced bus fares by R$0.15 to R$2.60, whilst fares in the city of Recife and its metropolitan area have been reduced by $R0.10. Cuiabá, Blumenau, and Joao Pessoa meanwhile have seen a similar reduction in price.

This Tuesday, the mayor of Sao Paolo, Fernando Haddad, agreed to revise the bus tariff for the city – although demonstrations are expected to continue until the hike is completely revoked.

Apart from the 20 centavos price hike that sparked the movement, overspending for the 2014 Fifa World Cup, Confederation Cup, and corruption charges have also formed part of the massive anti government mobilisations. Protesters would also like to see more public funds directed towards healthcare and education.

More generally, the protests reflect a growing disconnect between the traditional political parties, legislators, and the government on the one hand, and the massive youth population on the other.

Late last night, the Justice Ministry announced plans to dispatch members of the National Guard to five of the six host cities of the Fifa World Cup including: Minas Gerais, Rio, Bahia, Ceará and the Federal District.

Twenty people have been arrested in São Paolo, Brazil after thousands turned violent during a street protest against higher public transport prices.

Ten thousand Brazilians marched today for more than six hours to demand a government reduction in the rise of price sales on the bus, metro, and train tickets, which have increased by 7%.

São Paulo metro (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

The violence ensued when police intervened after demonstrators set fire to a bus and blocked one of São Paulo’s main roads, Av. Paulista, on Tuesday night. Three people were left injured and 20 were arrested and detained overnight.

According to officials, protesters also hurled petrol bombs and smashed windows when police used tear gas and rubber bullets to control the violence.

On 2nd June, prices for a transport tickets were raised from 3 Brazilian reals (US$1.40) to 3.20 Brazilian reals (US$1.50). The authorities have said that the hike is below the inflation levels, which have been at 15.5%, according to country data.

“I think it was the most violent protest judging by the intensity and the rage of the demonstrators,” police officer Colonel Marcelo Pignatari told local news site G1 News.

He added that three police officers are also injured due to the clashes.

The demonstrators have scheduled more protests in São Paolo for the coming weeks. Protests are also taking place in Rio de Janeiro for the same reason, and have so far resulted in the arrest of more than 30 people.

Teachers and students from learning centres around Buenos Aires are today protesting for fairer teaching salaries, and scholarships for students, among other issues.

Groups have gathered outside the Ministry of Education of Buenos Aires to draw attention to their cause, which includes demanding state recognition for the qualifications received in learning centres – which receive students and adults who wish to carry on their education outside of a government-recognised school.

Learning Centre (Photo by: by IICD, Flickr)

Students of the city’s learning centres are demanding that their qualifications will lead to the same career opportunities of state-recognised qualifications. According to the protesters, only 300 students in Buenos Aires will graduate with state-recognised qualifications.

Additionally, protesters are lobbying for the 100 teachers from local learning centres who have not received wages this year.

One of the protesters said that students and teachers have come together today to protest against the “precarious and deteriorating educational policy as a whole”.

“Despite our historical claims, we are still not recognised or funded by the state. Given the lack of answers, we urge the authorities to take notice.”

The protester went on to say that they were raising government awareness for the spaces where children and adults from different neighborhoods and backgrounds can come to study and participate in cultural activities.

“Hundreds of teachers and thousands of students are looking for a real democratisation of our teaching and learning practices”, the protester added.

Sebastián Piñera makes his way to Congress (photo: Presidencia de Chile)

Protesters gathered at the congress headquarters to demand free education, the protection of natural resources, and a new constitution. Before the arrival of Piñera, members of the Confederation of Chilean Students (CONFECH) displayed little hope as they declared: “it will be a predictable speech”.

Beatriz Michell, a Telesur correspondent, said that the social groups were protesting “the numerous social problems that the government of Sebastián Piñera has failed to address, including education, health and the controversial fishing law.”

The speech is held every 21st May for all presidents, and represents Piñera’s last as Chile’s leader, before the upcoming 17th November elections, which Piñera is barred from running in according to the constitution.

Spokesperson for the Confederation of Chilean Students, Mario Domínguez, demanded of the President: “For once, listen to the citizens and their demands, there is an urge to reform the way resources are used in Chile in order to guarantee human rights, such as free and valid public education.” The University of Valparaíso announced prior to the protests that they would be supporting the students in their uprising today.

Students have been demanding changes to the country’s education system since 2011, which despite being regarded as one of the best in South America, is only funded 25% by the state, leaving a 75% dependence on funding from students and their families.

The state guarantees free education at only the primary school level. Chile’s current education system stems from the national system implemented during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990). Pinochet heavily reduced the role of the state after enforcing the Constitutional Law of Education reform in 1990, leaving the state as solely a regulator, with education controlled by the private sector.

Following weeks of protests, strikes, and arrests across Bolivia in demand of a pension increase, President Evo Morales has today signed Ley 378, which will officially increase pensions for citizens over 60. The change in law will see monthly pensions increase by 50 Bolivianos, equivalent to around US$7.

A COB Demonstrator in Bolivia (Photo: QuilomboFotos on flickr)

Today, Morales announced during a ceremony at the Government Palace: “Brothers and sisters of Bolivia, we have a government, a welfare state that benefits its employees, its people. This increase is to bring dignity to its youth, its work, and now the pension system, we want to support them all.”

Before today’s increase, the country’s pension system, the ‘Renta Dignidad’, granted a monthly pension of 200 bolivianos (US$28) to citizens who do not receive any other income, and 150 bolivianos (US$21) to older citizens who also receive a retirement income.

Morales continued by assuring that: “We want to remind our people that whatever work they do is worthy. Brothers and sisters you are important for the government and with this [increased Renta Dignidad] we want to reward you and we want to pay you.” The pension increase is expected to come into full effect in 2015, and aid almost a million people over the age of 60.

However, the announcement did not come without criticism from the President, who highlighted the behaviour and demands of the Bolivian Worker’s Centre (COB). Morales said: “There are members of the COB who think only about privileged groups, whilst the government defends the rights of workers, most workers. That is our difference.”

Morales referenced the demands of the COB, such as their desire to increase the retirement pay of miners to eight thousand bolivianos, whilst only to five thousand for other sectors.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. (Photo courtesy of Ministerio TIC Colombia on Flickr)

Thousands of farmers in Colombia are protesting against the country’s Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) in place that harm the domestic potato market.

The farmers are rising up against FTAs signed under President Juan Manuel Santos with several different countries that set Colombia to import approximately 20 million tons of potatoes annually, to the detriment of nearly 120,000 local producers. Protesters are demanding better protection for national producers so that the country’s potato industry might be able to compete with imported goods.

Protests began yesterday, 7^th May, in the departments of Boyacá, Cundinamarca, and Santander in the centre of the country, and in Cauca and Nariño in the southwest.

The groups are demanding that the Colombian government introduce subsidies for potato producers in order to cut out-of-pocket costs that raise local prices and hurt domestic producers in the face of international competition in the market.

Protest leader Israel Rodríguez stated: “We are losing competitiveness with the new politics of the state,” in reference to the FTAs approved by the Santos government.

Agricultural Minister Juan Camilo Restrepo is to meet with protest leaders to reach an agreement and end the road blocks set up by the protesters. The ministry has assured the farmers that it will support them by looking into all possible means for lowering their production costs, although it hopes to avoid granting subsidies.

One protester was reportedly injured in an attempted roadblock, and traffic has slowed throughout the country with the presence of  protests on the streets. Colombian police have intervened at the roadblock sites and have begun to redirect traffic, in certain instances using teargas and water to clear out protesters.

Over the past few years Colombia has signed FTAs with several countries, including South Korea the United States in the past 12 months.

Indigenous protesters in Peru (photo courtesy of Pulsar)

The road is located in the region of Loreto, North Peru. The protests are being made in a bid to raise awareness of the problems related to deforestation and environment preservation.

The indigenous groups claim that deforestation is “causing the poisoning of the lagoons and affecting primary forests”. They place blame on companies that have been given concessions and territorial permits by the local authorities.

Police arrived and evicted a number of the protestors but many returned, resulting in further confrontations. Workers’ unions from the city of Yurmiguas, in the Peruvian Amazon, joined the protest, which has prevented traffic flow from exiting and entering the city. Many people and cars are stranded as a result.

The provincial governor, Manuel Polo Valera, requested that protestors leave the area but Ronald Perez Lomas, an indigenous leader, refused, saying that the strike will continue for 72 hours. A group also marched through the city demanding local businesses close their doors in protest.

Indigenous leaders expressed that they do not want to punish the city, stating that their protest is against the government. “We are defending our Amazon from large logging companies,” protestors told local press.

Evo Morales (Photo by Sebastian Baryli)

Bolivia’s constitutional court has ruled that President Evo Morales will be able to run for a third term in December’s elections, sparking opposition protests.

After being elected in 2005, Morales, Bolivia’s first indigenous president, was re-elected in 2009 after pushing through a new constitution that allows only one re-election for a sitting president.

“The presidential term is computed from the time of the adoption of the new constitution,” constitutional court president Ruddy Flores said to reporters.

Opposition leaders have strongly disagreed with the decision saying that Monday’s ruling is evidence that Bolivia’s courts are under Morales’ sway.

“The constitution is very clear that there can only be one re-election. If Evo Morales want a second re-election he should have to change the constitution again,” said Samuel Doria Medina, leader of the center-right National Unity Party.

As part of his policy of increasing control over the economy, Morales has nationalised private companies, which has subsequently made him unpopular among many international investors. However, he has won approval from Wall Street credit rating agencies for sound fiscal management and for building record bank reserves.

Morales won the 2009 general election with a landslide majority, polling 64%. His party, Movement for Socialism , also won a two-thirds majority in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.

Buses waiting at the Retiro terminal (photo: Beatrice Murch)

Protests at the gate of the Retiro bus terminal have stopped 50 buses from leaving Buenos Aires today, signalling potential problems for those escaping the city for the Easter break.

Union de Consorcistas de la Republica Argentina (UCRA) are protesting against four dismissals within their various bus companies, two in Corrientes and two in Cordoba. Protestors also campaigned for free travel for people with disabilities.

According to Clarín, one of the companies being charged for unfair dismissal is Buenos Aires-based bus operator El Pulqui.

After around two hours of protest the roadblock was lifted, though delays are still expected with passengers encouraged to call the relevant bus company to check departure times.

2.4 million Argentines are expected to leave their respective cities over the Easter week, and more than half of these tourists will depart from Capital Federal.

The National Commission for transport regulation (CNRT) reported that the Retiro terminal has taken on 1,400 extra bus services for today, tomorrow and Friday this week ahead of the six-day holiday.

Artists protesting the planned closure of Sala Alberdi (photo/Jerry Nelson)

At 8 pm there will be press conferences to detail the reasons for protest. In Corrientes, between Montevideo and Paraná, members of the Assembly of Sala Alberdi will block the road in opposition to the government’s plan to “move the workshop and the activities that take place there into another cultural center” in Chacarita. This comes after the violent eviction of artists from the building by Metropolitan Police earlier this week, which resulted in two arrests and 14 injuries.

Another roadblock will take place on Corrientes and Ángel Gallardo to protest the blocking off of Parque Centenario. The other main point of the protest will occur at Avenida 9 De Julio and Avenida de Mayo to protest the Metrobús project.

There will also be roadblocks at the following locations:

• Iguazú and Alcorta
• Martín García and Paseo Colón
• Francisco Rabanal y Berg
• Acoyte and Rivadavia
• Varela y Perito Moreno y de La Cruz y Perito Moreno
• Dorrego and Corrientes
• Triunvirato and Olazábal
• Castañares and Mariano Acosta
• Mariano Acosta and Fernández de la Cruz
• Escalada and Fernández de la Cruz
• Vélez Sarsfield and Iriarte

As the protests will occur at hours of high traffic density, it has been reported that they could cause traffic chaos the city this evening.