TEXT I
Teen gives voice to Brazilian student protest
movement
(CNN) A soft-spoken teenage girl has become the
voice of a frustrated generation of Brazilian high
school students after a video of her speaking to
legislators in her home state of Parana became a
viral sensation. Sixteen-year-old Ana Julia Ribeiro
turned into a household name overnight after
testifying before the legislative assembly in Curitiba
and defending the student-led movement that has
occupied hundreds of state schools since October
14. She has also drawn comparisons to Malala
Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist and youngest
recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize who fought for equal access to education for girls in Talibancontrolled regions. "To whom do these schools
belong?" Ribeiro asked, with a slight tremble in her
voice, at the beginning of her 10-minute speech.
"This is our country, it will be the country of my
children and the children of my children and I am
concerned about the future." The students are
protesting a provisional measure that would change
the high school curriculum in public schools
throughout the country. It would make classes like art
and physical education optional and increase class
time. The students also are against a proposed
constitutional amendment, known as PEC 241,
drafted by President Michel Temer, that would cap
government spending for 20 years to reduce budget
deficits and pay the country's debt. "We can't just sit
back with our arms crossed," Ribeiro said. "We know
that we need a reform in high school education and
the educational system as a whole, but we need a
reform that has been debated and discussed and
promoted by education professionals." In Parana,
850 of the state's 2,100 public schools were seized
by the student movements this month. Lawmakers
accused the students of being influenced by leftist
leaders who opposed the Temer government, which
took office after former President Dilma Rousseff was
impeached in August. "This isn't a game for us, we
know what we are fighting for. Our flag is education,
our only flag is education," Ribeiro said. "We are a
nonpartisan movement. We are a student movement
for the students." Her speech drew a loud roar of
applause from sympathizers in the assembly
audience and a scolding from its president, who
threatened to suspend the session, when she
accused lawmakers of "having blood on their hands"
after the death of fellow student Lucas Mota in one of
the occupied schools. "I went to Lucas' funeral
yesterday and I don't remember seeing any of the
faces there that I am seeing today. Not one," Ribeiro
said. "Lucas' blood is on your hands. You represent
the state." While the Mota incident was isolated and
unrelated to the protest movement, Ribeiro took
advantage of her time at the lectern to challenge the
representatives as they chastised her for her
"insults." "I apologize, but the Statute of the Child and
Adolescent says that society, the family and the state
are the ones responsible for the well-being of this
country's youth and for its students." According to the
Ministry of Education, 315 schools are still occupied
by the student movements. Ribeiro traveled to
Brasilia earlier this week and participated in a debate
on the disputed constitutional amendment at a senate
human rights commission meeting. The amendment,
which was approved by the lower house, will be debated on the senate floor this month and is
expected to be called to a vote on November 29.
Adaptado de: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/01/world/brazil-teenana-julia-ribeiro/index.html acesso em 09/11/2016.