Unasur warns Brazil budget cuts could raise poverty levels

The Union of South American Nations (Unasur) warned Brazil on Tuesday that planned budget cuts by its interim government could lead to an increase in poverty in the country.

"We cannot allow the economic crisis and the application of economic measures in response to it to allow the least favored segments of society to fall back into poverty," Ernesto Samper, Unasur's secretary-general, said in a speech here.

According to Samper, a recent report by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) had found that between 8-10 million Latin Americans who had left poverty behind in the last decade have now fallen back into it due to recent economic pressures.

Brazil was at the greatest risk of seeing this economic downturn, due to its severe recession, he added.

Without commenting directly about the impeachment process against suspended President Dilma Rousseff, Samper did caution the interim government against taking illegitimate actions.

"We cannot fall prey to the totalitarian aims of those who feel that the solution to the political crisis lie in shows of strength or in raising up factions that have no political legitimacy," he said.

Samper acknowledged that Latin American democracies "face many difficulties" but said that the "difference between dictatorship and democracy is an effective parliament." Enditem