Klaus Hart Brasilientexte

Frei Betto*
Over the past few weeks the news media has registered innumerable cases of fatal traffic accidents caused by drunken drivers. They were arrested and were soon released thanks to bail. A detail: their driving licences were not apprehended. Some in fact did not even have a driving licence.

Brazil is a country of impunity. The laws are made only for the poor – who have no money to pay lawyers or bail. From the middle class up, there is not a single traffic murderer in prison. Nor anyone condemned without appeal. There are 57 deaths every day in Brazil associated with alcoholism. Therefore the question worth asking is: who’ll be the next victim?

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