By Beatriz Bissio, Associate Professor in the Postgraduate Program of Comparative History, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
The Executive Intelligence Review (EIR) organized an online forum on March 2, 2026, titled “Epstein and the Bottomless Depravity of the Elites – Urgent Need for a Cultural Renaissance!” Beatriz Bissio, Associate Professor in the Postgraduate of Comparative History, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, gave a presentation at the forum.
Below you can find an English translation of Bissio’s presentation on the Epstein scandal.
Thank you very much. I am very honored with the invitation to participate in this important meeting. I will speak in my mother language, Spanish, and I hope you all will understand through the translators.
Well, after those important speeches, what I prepared is something I feel very deeply, and I hope you will share my ideas.
We lack the words and metaphors to describe the times we are living in. At a time in history when humanity has developed technologies and knowledge that could solve many of the challenges we face—whether in the areas of climate change, health, overcoming hunger, or closing the social and economic gap that divides the world—a tiny fraction of human beings, less than 1% are pushing the rest, 99% to the brink of collapse. Why? Because they know that the system that sustains them, capitalism in its cruelest form, cannot survive without the destructive power of weapons.
The aggression of the United States and Israel against Iran has already turned into a regional conflict. All the justifications used by President Trump, who is becoming increasingly erratic, are lies. Iran does not pose a threat to the United States; in fact, Iran has insisted (as was stated clearly by our dear Helga LaRouche) on its refusal to develop a nuclear bomb for religious reasons, and was negotiating as much as possible while maintaining its sovereignty as should be the case when there are differences until two days before the aggression with a view to continuing this diplomatic dialogue in good faith with the United States and with the mediation of Oman. But the United States and Israel, once again—they have done this before—used diplomatic dialogue as a smokescreen to hide their true objectives: military attack on Iran with the aim of achieving “regime change.” They encouraged the false hope that by decapitating the supreme leader; by turning Ali Khamenei into a martyr, the Iranian people would seize the opportunity to take to the streets and overthrow the regime.
What a misunderstanding of reality! What poor analysis and what bad faith clearly. Only a profound ignorance of what the Islamic faith means, of what is implied by this faith, and believing the lies which they themselves spread and which the Western press spread, which they end up believing. Only such a deep ignorance could lead to the idea that decapitation and the killing of Ali Khamenei would open the doors to the clamor of the population for regime change.
So, what is going on? Let’s say that this so-called “mistake” is leading into a regional war. Let us say that this so-called mistake is leading into a regional war. The martyrdom, the death of their Supreme Leader, his family and other leaders of the Iranian government, their assassination; what this is leading to, besides the thousands of deaths including the deaths of American soldiers on military bases across the region which the United States has and have been attacked in response by Iran. Besides all of those victims we are, in fact, already facing the dramatic internationalization of the conflict and a military escalation of unforeseeable results, as has been stated very clearly by our hostess, Helga Zepp-LaRouche.
But, in addition to serving Israel’s ambition to destroy its strongest adversary in the region, the truth of the matter is that the aggression against Iran—and we have to understand this—has been an aggression against the BRICS nations. We know the importance of Iran in the BRICS; and in particular, without doubt, the importance of Iran for China and for Russia. I won’t go into the details of this, of the different justifications or reasons for making such a statement, but to just mention one aspect of this. It is estimated that between 20-25% of the oil consumed daily by China comes from Iran. Regardless of the sanctions, they have found a way for that oil to reach China, and other countries as well, other consumer nations.
Therefore, here from Brazil, Brazil is also a member of the BRICS. Brazil, which is the most important country of Latin America, if you view it from the standpoint of demographics, its territorial expanse, its wealth, its position within the BRICS. Observing this situation from Brazil, we clearly have to view this as a problem which is not far away, it is here as well. The consequences of this aggression against Iran are also here in Latin America directly. They involve us directly. We already had in the first days of the year, we witnessed the aggression against Venezuela, the kidnapping of President Maduro and his wife, the bombing of Venezuela. This was the first warning of what could be coming, and now, in fact, Brazil observes this aggression against Iran with extreme concern. That’s what has been stated most clearly by the Brazilian government, by President Lula, through the Foreign Ministry, and other members of the government.
In other words, the current version of the Monroe Doctrine, or the “Donroe Doctrine” as Trump aspires to call it, and which of course finds echoes here within our area. A lot of the press in Brazil has aligned itself with the doctrine coming from the United States, unfortunately. They do so, unfortunately, very uncritically. There is an alignment of most of the press, and also of the extreme right, with these positions. And we here in Brazil in 2026 are in an electoral year. This will be a decisive election, a general election which covers the Presidency, all of the governors, the state legislative assemblies, the parliament. In fact, this is going to be a very decisive moment not only for Brazil, but for the entire region, given the weight that Brazil has in the whole region, especially in Latin America.
Therefore, as we look at this situation, personally, I believe that what is called for is to convene a call for all of the peoples. They are the ones who suffer these aggressions, they are the ones facing aggression. To call for unity, as has been well analyzed previously in these platforms which the Schiller Institute and EIR have provided us. We need unity of the people to demand a return to diplomacy, that diplomacy prevails over conflict, that the survival of humanity again be made a priority, and that we join and align in defense of the most important values of humanity which have been created in human civilization, to create a future. A future which is not being permitted by those who are promoting and pushing the world towards a nuclear world war.
Therefore, to avoid this possible destruction which is so close and so dangerous, the people of the world must unite. We must make our voices heard, we must go out into the streets, we have to go to workplaces, we must organize. We have to be at the universities discussing these matters with the youth, with new generations, discussing the challenges we face. Thank you very much.