The painful rout of Brazil’s soccer team by Germany may be a metaphor for the deeper political losses that Brazil has experienced in the past year. Last summer students were marching down the streets of major cities like Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, and Sao Paulo protesting higher transport costs.These demonstrations, coupled with public outcries about the cost of hosting a World Cup and an Olympics in 2016 marked a turning point in the Brazilian success story. 

The giant has awoken,” Paiva added, citing the continued unrest in her home country. That giant represents the millions of Brazilians who feel increasingly left behind by the country’s recent economic success. The protests that began June 17 have since swept across the country, with crowds of up to one million swarming streets in Sao Paulo, Rio and other cities. The latest involved a crowd of some 5,000 in the northeastern city of Fortaleza, where protestors clashed with police during a Confederations Cup soccer match.