Carlos Latuff was born in 1968 in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he lives until today. Cartoonist and activist, he has become world famous for his sketches and his support to the movements that unfold throughout the world in recent years. With talent and causticity he sketches the situation in Palestine, Brazil, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, the US, Latin America and many other countries and regions, where fights are carried out. In the same way he comments on the international events, with particular sensitivity around the aggressiveness of the North American and European imperialism but also the hypocrisy of the international community.
You will not find his sketches as much in the official media as in thousands websites and Internet blogs referring to movements and in alternative media. And the effect of his work is such, that it has bothered many, especially zionist circles and “prominent” of the international community and the Brazilian political establishment. It is not a coincidence that even the former Secretary General UN Kofi Annan criticized the “provocativeness of his work.”
As it is known, Latuff has worked closely with the newspaper Dromos in the past and his sketches are hosted in the pages of our newspaper very often. When he was asked to give us an interview, he liked the idea. Despite the fact that he is really busy, meaning that there wasn’t an opportunity to respond extensively, he welcomed our questions and he was able to answer within a short time. This happened because –as he told us – he has great sympathy for the editorial team of Dromos, a good relationship with the newspaper, and he finds great that he has worked with us in the past. Finally he mentioned that thanks to our newspaper he has travelled formerly to Greece, he feels nostalgia for our country and he would like to come back again.
The Olympic games that took place in Brazil were a main event for the world of media and the world of big companies. What meant to the people of Brazil the conduct of the Olympiad there?
For the ordinary people, the Olympics didn’t mean too much. Tickets were expensive and the majority of the people weren’t able to afford. You also had families removed from their homes in order to build the Olympic infrastructure. So the Olympics was a festival for sure, but not for the average Brazilian, but for the companies, sponsors, TV channels and politicians.
We heard and saw pictures of demonstrations against the Olympics and we spread calls for raising awareness of the suppression that followed the protests. Can you give us a concise picture of the size of the protests and the suppression?
Protests happened mostly in Rio and a few places where events took place outside Rio, not big ones, since there was a huge police apparatus and big repression, including that, against those participating in the event, who were prevented to show placards with “Fora Temer” (Temer out!, protest against interim president Michel Temer)
In your opinion what did the Olympics mean in cultural level? Do real athletics exist or everything has become trade and chemistry?
I believe real athletes really do exist, but now everything is too professional, too optimized, too embraced by multinational companies and stuff. Even though you still see things like the New Zealand helping the American runner who fell.
Would you like to make a comment about the impeachment against the president of your country Dilma Rousseff and the latest developments in your country?
This impeachment is a travestite of legalism. It is in fact a political machination. Dilma didn’t commit any crime. The ones behind this impeachment are those who lost presidential elections for her in 2014. They didn’t accept their defeat and tried everything to remove her from government. Ironic thing is that she was impeached for allegations of corruption, by politicians who are, themselves, facing charges of corruption. This impeachment is a parliamentary coup.
Your sketches overwhelm the whole world and you are a courageous voice against the oppression and the exploitation. Are you preparing something more special this period? Tell us a few things about your plans.
No special plans at all. Just drawing about the events is enough. Since things are changing minute by minute, in a fast pace, there is always something new (and sometimes tragic) to draw about in the geopolitics arena.
Shall we expect you in Resistance Festival next summer?
It would be good to be back to Greece again, no doubt.
Would you like to send a message, a wish to the Greek people and to the people who follow your work and the readers of newspaper Dromos?
I send a bunch of kisses and hugs to my friends at Dromos. And to the Greeks: Please, don’t fall into the promises of right wingers, presenting themselves as the solution for all social and economic problems. Usually during crises, these opportunists are always on the corner waiting for a chance.
Info
More about Carlos Latuff below:
https://twitter.com/latuffcartoons
www.facebook.com/realcarloslatuff
https://latuffcartoons.wordpress.com/
Here you can read the interview in greek.
