Brazil: 800 Women Occupy O Globo Newspaper to Denounce 'Coup'

Some 800 women have occupied the O Globo newspaper headquarters, Brazil's largest privately owned communication company, in Rio de Janeiro Thursday morning. Taking to the grounds at 5:30 a.m. local time, the group said their objective is to denounce the media giant's decisive action to foster political instability in Brazil.

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Representing social groups such as the Rural Landless Movement, or MST, Popular Youth Uprising, Movement of Small Family Farmers and the Movement of Those Affected by Dams, as well as concerned residents from local communities, the women emphasized that O Globo helped build the narrative which resulted in the 2016 impeachment of former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.

Notwithstanding this feat, the media company has consistently published material contributing to the political persecution of former Brazilian president, and this year's presidential hopeful, Luiz Inacio 'Lula' da Silva.

“Globo promotes coups in favor of its business interests. They don't care about the consequences for the country. That means its criminal. It's not only an enemy of the workers, it's an enemy of the entire nation,” said Ana Carolina Silva, a member of the Popular Youth Uprising.

MST leader Maria Gomes de Oliveira said Globo news broadcasts, newspapers and magazines are responsible for social coesrion and fomenting electoral trends.

The media giant backed the “military intervention in Rio de Janeiro in the name of security. At the same time they promote fear in order to keep the working class quiet, (senate-imposed Brazilian President Michel) Temer and his allies take advantage” of people's yearning for a safe society “to disguise his electoral strategy.”

She also stressed that Globo supported the Temer administration's attempt at pension reform. “In regards to pension (reform), they are directly linked to Mapfre Seguros, a company that renders private pension services.”

The occupation is part of the MST's Landless Women's National Day of Struggle action marking International Women's Day. Similar protests and demonstrations are taking place in other parts of the country, including the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Paraiba, Para, Maranhao, Goiania and elsewhere.

The nationwide mobilizations have been called to denounce violence against women, agribusiness, the loss of workers' rights and setbacks in social progress.