April 10, 2014
Movimento São Paulo Independente (São Paulo Independent Movement) or MSPI, has caught the attention of the Paulistas in a complicated moment that Brasil has been through, the same is happening to other movements throughout the country which are increasing in numbers. In the following interview, Júlio César, of MSPI, replies to many questions that commonly rise up about the Movement as well he justifies MSPI with historical and cultural basis, making it clear that it's not about one more utopian ideology of false equality emerged from a moment of enthusiasm (or under drugs) in a Brazilian public university.
What is the MSPI and what are its principles?
MSPI, as the name says, is a movement so it has as main meaning to move people for the idea of the Paulista separatism. We try to inform people and gather some others who have been defending the separatism for themselves, without a movement, people who have always felt different by having these ideas. Separatism is a clear fact for those who choose to use reason to understand the current reality of Brazil.
About our principles, MSPI differs a little of other separatist movements of the South of Brazil and even here in São Paulo. That happens because of our focus in the identity. The Bandeirante Identity has been reviewed and the MSPI is working to promote this reborn of identity.We work for identity as well because São Paulo has had its real culture avoided by general media. Without identity there is no nation. Even with all the current problems, São Paulo has its own singular culture, identity (a feeling of belongingness), people and land, so we got all necessary elements to be a Nation. Awareness is necessary from people now and this is our duty.
Is it possible to point in the Brazilian History, reasons to justify the existence of MSPI nowadays?
I believe that who dedicates himself to a rational study of the social reality of São Paulo can very well conclude that separatism is not only fair but it's the most reasonable way to solve the calamitous situation in which the Paulista people has been undergone.
There are some elements in History to justify the separatism thesis, there are many, actually. Firstly it's necessary to say here the example left by our ancestors, who in 1641 proclaimed the "Good Man", Amador Bueno, as King of the Paulistas, in way to stop being subjected by the Portuguese Government, just reinstated. That was the first act for independence happened in America.
In 1887, inside the PRP Partido Republicano Paulista (Paulista Republican Party), the second strongest ideology was the separatist one (read "A Pátria Paulista" of Alberto Sales, "A Pátria Paulista" of Cássia Aducci and the work of the professor José Ênio Casalecchi, about the PRP). The separatists were a key factor to overthrow the centralized Brazilian monarchy in 1889. The practical result of all that was, apart of changing the form of governance, the creation of the most fit constitution that Brazil has ever had, the Carta of 1891 which highlighted the federalism.
So, Paulista Separatism is a traditional and old subject. Until the 18th century, São Paulo was still a very isolated region, the Portuguese Monarchy used to deal with São Paulo only in cases of shipwreck in our coasts, to charge taxes or by the need of military defence. While other regions were living wealthy with their Lords in a system of slavery plantation. São Paulo was living with the sweat of its face, in a society far more democratic than other parts of Portuguese colonies. São Paulo has always been different of other regions of Portuguese America, until the 19th century, during it (the coffee period) to nowadays. The civilization development of São Paulo was never similar to other places in Brazil, actually, I would say they go in the contrary direction.
If the option is separatism, what would happen to the other States?
Each State follow its own path, according to what its population sovereignly claims. If they want to keep being together under the name and the flag of Brazil, so be it. If they want to keep united but under a confederation, so be it, nothing can stop them. Therefore it's clear that a deep structural change will take place or at least there will be a chance for this to happen when people will be able to realize that their "elite" in government is outdated and selfish absorbing for them everything good which people produce. When I say "elite" I say using the bad side of the word. Every nation needs a ruling elite but it's not right when those rulers don't see their existence as an example to be followed and see it just as a parasite existence of absorbing resources. The Brazilian "elites" don't know how to be an Elite, they must learn because people in States, specially in North-east, wouldn't accept to live in worse penury, in a case of independence of São Paulo, which is the "million dollar duck of Brazil", stopping the "elites" of the centralized Brazil of stealing resources.
What does prevail? A Brazilian Culture or Local Culture in each State?
There is no such a thing as Brazilian Culture as an organic nation. The "Brazilianity" (brasilidade), word used to talk about the alleged Brazilian identity, is a concept created by intellectuals always with the support of the Brazilian government, since the Imperial times. Those intellectuals got a mission of writing a History for Brazil, which can only be considered a fiction, as there was no Brazil before 1808, at least, and being more precisely, before 1822 with the independence from Portugal. What was there before that year was just a Portuguese colony in America, which was populated by many Euro-American people: Paulistas, Fluminenses, Pernambucanos, Baianos, etc.
Today, thanks to that coordinated act of the Brazilian government and their wealthy supporters, the economical powers and the media share the idea of the existence of a Brazilian identity. In facto, for many people this is just a non-important topic. The Brazilian ex-President FHC was once asked in an interview about the fact of no current publishings of great essays about the (alleged) Brazilian culture, indetity and people and FHC replied that there is no more need for those publishings because the mission of creating an identity was already fulfilled, he said that there is no need of essays as "O Povo Brasileiro","Casa-Grande & Senzala" or "Raízes do Brazil", mission accomplished.
The alleged Brazilian identity is nothing more than artificial foam, that sonn will be vanished by the power of History. There is no way to beat the real identity of people. I quote here the historian Alfredo Ellis Jr. "There is no Brazilian History in an homogeneous way. It is the amount of chapters of local histories".
I believe we can't even limit the local culture to regions, there is no such a thing, for instance, Southern Culture, but different culture of the 3 states that compose the South of Brazil. It's the same for the South-east region and in North-east, cultures are so different that if we talk about a "North-eastian" culture, it will be as artificial as the famous"Brasilianity".
Who are the allies and opposition for MSPI?
The only allies for MSPI are the orderly Paulistas, who are tired of the situations they face daily. We want to live in peace, enjoying our work's result we that we got out of the sweat of our face and the same which nowadays is taken away by abusive taxes that we pay to the capital Brasília. We don't have even the right for a healthy culture because turning on the TV, we see the media trash, being sold to tired working people who has no vastly options of leisure.
In this sense, our main opposition are those who defend the current status quo in our nation. Secondly, in Brazil, in Latin America actually, the nationalism has been transformed in leftism and many Brazilian nationalists are real lefties. Those ones enjoy coming to mess up our cause, but they really need better arguments, they need historic and theory basis. Their arguments are merely emotional and irrational, and sometimes, idealogical. As points the historian João Camilo de Oliveira Torres, all ideologies carry in itself, primarily, a load of merely emotional ethos. So the Brazilian nationalism is our enemy. Those who are honest, need to review, in the basis of reason, their anti-separatism ideas.
(Separatism is not racism, don't attack who fights for a better future)
Are there other separatist movements in other States of Brazil or even other ones inside São Paulo?
The separatism in Brazil re emerged strongly after the post-dictatorship period in the country, specially in the early 90's. In São Paulo the oldest of the modern movements is MSPI, founded in 1992 by the jurist João Nascimento Franco. In the 2000's other movements appeared utilizing a lot the internet. In the South there is the strongest current movement in the country "O Sul é o Meu País" (The South is My Country), led currently by Celso Deucher.
It's curious to observe the rising of a separatist spirit in the State of Rio de Janeiro, even being stronger more on internet, it rose after some royalties fights against the Brazilian government about a discovered pre-salt layer.
In São Paulo, the current most active movement is MSPI, which makes regular public meetings, share its activities and invite people to do acts for São Paulo. There are some other movements that started as Liga Paulista Pela Autonomia, coordinated by Roberto Tonin, but now apparently in a stand-by status. There is MRSP, which nowadays is limited to internet.
To whom it may concerns, what is necessary to join and/or cooperate to the cause?
MSPI has only the volunteer work of its activists. None here gets any money for what is done for São Paulo. Our work is a work for the love of the Paulista Nation. Who shares this very same love, just start following the activities, which are public and always published on internet in our official page, group and website. Eventually we collect money to pay expenses we have, but everything is volunteered and occasional.
So, to be part of it, just being willing is required so you can follow us in this patriotic journey.
(São Paulo Is My Country)
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