Prof. Erminia Maricato

Architects Union in the State of Sao Paulo Architects for Democracy We are living a crisis that is not only national, but international. For those who follow international politics, this is evident. There is also a strong component, which is the attempted return of American hegemony on Latin America, and specially on the pre-salt oil fields [recently discovered], which multinational companies want to have access to. The impediment of access to the pre-salt comes from governments that are holding State monopoly, specially left-wing governments, specially the Workers Party (PT). I pulled away from PT, I had disagreements on how alliances were being conducted, very ample. The fact that urban policy was left out of the national agenda, the Ministry having been handed over to a conservative party [PP], which is today in favor of the impeachment. And which has grown in the Ministry of Cities. The perspective [for the future with impeachment] is much worse than what we are currently experiencing. You just have to look at the Congress's agenda: [what is proposed regarding] the demarcation of indigenous lands, the reduction of the legal age of criminal responsibility, the end of the disarmament statute. Attacks against workers' rights, attacks on the women's rights. It is very clear to where this thing is going. And the polarization does not interest us. What is important to us is to defend a government that has been democratically elected. It may have made mistakes, it can make mistakes, but it is elected democratically.