Mumbai (India) - The prominent Portuguese intellectual and sociologist, Boaventura de Souza Santos, who is attending the World Social Forum, says that social movements are going to have to exert pressure on the Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva government to prevent it from becoming a copy of the Fernando Henrique Cardoso government.

Speaking at one of the discussion panels at the forum, Boaventura de Souza Santos declared that he remains optimistic about the Lula administration but feels that there is a risk of failure in the social area.

Social movements have to be constructive, he said, adding that their strength comes from the grassroots level and has to take the form of pressure on the government. This is constructive pressure - because the government is not the enemy, but pressure and mobilization have to exist because otherwise there is the risk of a Cardoso II government in Brazil, he concluded. (AB)