The World Cup had little effect on the routine of hundreds of needy Brazilians camped along Avenida das Nações, or L4 Sul, as the street that houses most of the foreign embassies located in Brasília is popularly known. Accommodated in canvas tents set up not far from Praça dos Três Poderes, entire families, many with children in their arms, remained indifferent to the euphoria of the occupants of vehicles that passed quickly on the road a few meters away. Without being able to leave their few belongings alone, and without a TV or radio nearby, the adults interviewed by Agência Brasil this Friday (9) had other concerns in mind besides the selection’s performance. Vulnerable people in the central area of Brasilia during the Brazil x Croatia game for the World Cup. – Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil “I like football, but I’m more concerned about feeding my family. If Brazil wins, ok. I’ll be happy, but football won’t give me food”, said the occasional agricultural worker, Cleison Monteiro da Silva, 44, while holding his little over one year old daughter so she wouldn’t run into the avenue. A resident of Luziânia and father of three, Silva ensures that this is the second consecutive year that he and his family have been forced to spend weeks under a tarp, counting on the generosity of third parties to supplement the amount that the family receives from the Aid. Brazil. “The work is weak and the rain is disturbing the harvest. That’s why we came to Brasilia. Here, at the end of the year, people always give basic food baskets and clothes to those in need”, added Silva, adding that he intends to remain camped in the heart of the federal capital until at least the next 22nd. “Until then, we will collect what we receive to sometimes help others [moradores de Luziânia] who are even worse off than us, but don’t have the courage to come,” said Silva. Vulnerable people in the central area of Brasilia during the Brazil x Croatia game for the World Cup. – Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil For different reasons, most people with whom the report spoke refused to grant an interview. A group gathered around 14 small tents complained about the indifference of the press in relation to the action of the Public Power, which recurrently removes them from the place – only to set up their tents again in the sequence. A few kilometers from the place where Silva is with his family, retired Tereza de Jesus Costa Lima said that she and her husband have to take turns not to leave alone the recyclable material that he collects in the streets of Brasília to supplement retirement pensions and, thus , manage to pay the installments of R$ 262 for the apartment they received from the government. “If we had somewhere to leave everything stored, protected, we could go back home. I could watch the games and we wouldn’t have to stay here, exposed to the weather and the looks of those who pass by and think that we are dirtying the city, storing garbage”, said Tereza . “Here, we don’t even have a radio. As my husband is very fond of football, he usually goes to watch it in a little bar in Asa Sul or with a watchman who knows him. But he takes advantage of the movement to, on his way back, catch more things to sell. And I stay here, taking care of everything”, commented Terezinha, referring to the piles of cardboard and plastic gathered in front of the tent where she was waiting for her husband to arrive with the result of the match. “I believe that Brazil will win”, bet the Corinthian, taking into account the reports that her husband made of previous matches to praise the performance of the players summoned by coach Tite. When the reporter left the place, at the beginning of the second half, the game remained zero to zero. however, Brazil lost to Croatia 4-2.
Agência Brasil
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