Brazil and the absurd weight of taxes: until when?

The image lays bare a reality that Brazilians feel in their pockets every day: we pay one of the highest tax burdens in the world on consumer goods. Cell phones, computers, cars, chocolate — even the basic food basket — are taxed absurdly. While in countries like the United States the tax is around 7%, in Brazil it can reach 40%.

This tax policy penalizes those who need it most. Instead of taxing large fortunes or excessive profits, the Brazilian system weighs heavily on consumption, that is, it primarily affects the poorest. It is an unfair, inefficient, and cruel model.

And what does the government do in response? Very little. Despite promises of tax reform, what we see are empty speeches and a costly, inefficient public machine sustained at the expense of the population's sacrifice. The current government of Lula, like the previous ones, has not changed this perverse logic — on the contrary, it continues to maintain privileges while the people foot the bill.

It is not a matter of ideology, but of justice. Brazil urgently needs a tax system that encourages development, alleviates the burden on the poorest, and firmly taxes those who can truly contribute more.