Could South Brazil Ever Become Its Own Country?

In October 2016, hundreds of thousands of people in Southern Brazil voted to break off and form their own country. The unofficial referendum had no legal bearing, but why do Southern Brazilians want independence? Well, those who voted in favor of secession are part of a separatist movement called “The South Is My Country”. It's made up of individuals in Brazil's three southernmost states, who argue that these states are culturally distinct and economically autonomous enough to be completely independent from the rest of Brazil. Separatist movements in Southern Brazil gained momentum in the early 1990's. Revolutionaries argued that Brazil's Southern state of Rio de Grande Do Sul was funneling billions of tax dollars into the Brazilian economy but only seeing about 63 percent returned. And this persisted, they said, because the regions that benefitted from it - namely the Northeast and the Amazon - had unfairly secured a majority in Congress. More than two decades later, the root of their argument is largely the same, that is, that the region is paying a large proportion of federal taxes with little return or representation. For instance, Brazil's northeastern state of Bahia pays less than half the federal taxes of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, even though its population is considerably larger. The South's ill-feelings toward the central government have intensified in the wake of widespread corruption and economic recession. In recent years, inflation and unemployment have increased dramatically, while many politicians, including recently impeached President Dilma Rousseff and her replacement, Michel Temer, have been embroiled in corruption scandals. But the movement is more than just political and economic. It's also cultural. Brazil's southern region was colonized by not only Portuguese but Italian and German immigrants, and today, nearly 80 percent of its population is ethnically European. This is in stark contrast to the rest of Brazil, which is a dynamic melting pot of African, Asian, European and Indigenous populations. There are some cities in the South where German is still the primary language, that even hold their own version of Oktoberfest. Southern Brazilians also tend to be wealthier. Southern Brazil's recent unofficial referendum carried no legal weight, and the prospect of full independence continues to be fairly dubious. That said, there has been talk of using the movement to push for more state autonomy, and leaders have even cited the U.S. as a model. With another referendum planned for 2017, the message is clear: hundreds of thousands of Southern Brazilians are ready to go it alone. We can't do episodes like this without our sponsors. If you listen to music and podcasts and are looking for a new Bluetooth speaker, check out Monster's reimagined boombox, the Monster Blaster, available for monthly payments starting at $25 dollars. The Monster Blaster has the power to bring music to life indoors and out.