ABSTRACT
Well, the most hopeful experiences the author had are involvement with the really poor and deprived people who were struggling and achieving. On the way, there’s a small graveyard with crosses where people were murdered by paramilitaries. There were other more activist groups which the author was personally associated with which went much further, calling for socialist Palestine. Critics claim that the social and economic success was superficial, dependent on rise in commodity prices, and that their decline led to the subsequent recession that has been exploited by the right-wing coup. The Brazilian media were apparently silent, apart from one photo of the huge crowd. Valeria and the author met with popular groups and activists, had many interviews and discussions, and were able to meet the two most credible candidates, Ciro Gomes and Fernando Haddad, both impressive figures. .
