Corruption Scandal Protests Grip Brazil -- On the Scene

(ATR) Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets of Rio de Janeiro to protest the current government.

The demonstrations were part of a larger day of protest around the country, with millions voicing frustration with the current government. Protests in Rio occurred on the Avenida Atlantica, which runs the length of Copacabana Beach.

Protesters wore the colors of the Brazilian flag and chanted "Dilma, out". They expressed their desire to see former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva go to prison for corruption charges.

The upcoming Olympic Games in August 2016 were spared from the protesters ire, with those speaking to Around the Rings emphasizing the endemic corruption the country is facing.

Maria Nascimento, a lawyer, told ATR that she came to the demonstrations because "it is up to the people to make a difference," in how the government does business.

"The corruption and robbery is at an unsustainable level, which they got away with bankrupting the Brazilian people," Nascimento added.

"We had education and health and now we have none of that. I think right now we are organizing and we want to adjust to not turn into Venezuela."

Marta, a 39-year-old student, told ATR that she was unsure if there could be considered an honest party in Brazil, which led her to coming down to protest. She could only definitively say that she has lost faith in the Brazilian Worker’s Party (PT) because of the current scandals.

Her sentiments were echoed by Rodrigo Fernandez Nascimento,23,a national transit department worker, who told ATR that in the last election he voted for Rousseff and the PT, and will no longer be doing so because of the deep corruption the government has allowed.

On March. 11, the current president said she would not resign during her term despite the challenges from the Brazilian National Congress to impeach her and the worst recession the country has faced in decades.

The recession has been been made more bitter as a result of the corruption probe into state run oil company Petrobras. Charges include collusion with construction companies over contracts. The multi-billion dollar scheme enriched politicians, oil executives, and construction bosses.

The investigation known as "Lava Jato," has touched some of Brazil’s largest construction heads and politicians currently serving in the National Congress. Earlier this month, investigators held former president Lula for questioning as part of a money laundering investigation.

Written by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.