Bush to Brazilians: There's No Jail Like Home

Filed in archive Latin News on March 12, 2007

March 09th. US president george bush is in São Paulo, Brazil. He goes out to visit a Non-Governmental Organization (Meninos do Morumbi). People who live near the NGO get two and a half hours of home arrest.

Yes, that's right.

Because of Bush's visit, the Brazilian Army forbid the neighbors to live their homes. The "home arrest" began at 03:00 PM. Bush arrived at 04:10 PM. Those at home, weren't allowed to get out. Those who were out and tried to return home, could not get trough the 250 soldiers block.

"I've lived 33 years in this neighborhood, and I've never seen such an aggression. I was home arrested. We were only allowed to get out of the house after Bush left." said Glaucio Maroni, 33 years old.

"I tried to go to the bakery, but they didn't let me. It's absurd." said Sandra Mara, another neighbor.

The employees and customers of two business located in front of the NGO were shut in since 15:00 PM until Bush's departure. Women with children who wanted to cross the street were escorted by soldiers, outside of the blocked area.

People locked in their own homes, streets invaded by men in black suits and armed soldiers. And I was wondering why people hate Bush (in a personal way) so much.

I know the US president can't go out by himself, like a regular "John Nobody". But I don't think visiting an NGO is vital, something he must do. And it certainly was not worth the aggression and the disrespect suffered by innocent, common people.

Does president Bush think a PR stunt (the visit to the NGO was nothing but that) it's more important than civil rights? If somebody told him Brazilians are used to get home arrested, for no good reason and out of the blue, he was misinformed.

Source (in Portuguese): Folha Online