International bodies won’t wait until October to monitor the election process in Brazil, seen by foreign observers as one of the country’s most tense times in decades. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, OAS (Organization of American States) and the regional office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (United Nations) have already started contacts in order to follow the campaigns in the country, and meetings are increasing. between members of civil society and international organizations to monitor and accompany the risks of the electoral process.
Threats and political violence against human rights activists, political groups and even foreign organizations are already a reality in the country. It may be too late to come only in October to assess the functioning of the polls, according to observers.
Last week, UN rapporteurs briefed and held meetings with activists denouncing President Jair Bolsonaro’s attacks on the Judiciary in the middle of an election year.
The theme of this Thursday’s campaign was that of a closed meeting between Brazilian activist groups and the chair of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The parties asked the regional body to ensure that their representatives take part in the observer mission that the OAS plans to send to monitor the human rights violations that occurred during the elections. Organizations also demanded agreements with UN bodies to monitor and alert the national situation.
The meeting concluded with a commitment to hold a bimonthly meeting so that the Inter-American Commission could be updated on the Brazilian scenario. An internal meeting will also be held to consider issues reported by civil society, in addition to an analysis from now on the reports from a cross-sectional perspective, primarily on recognition of violence against Black, Indigenous and LGBTQIA+ women.
During the call, Julissa Mantilla Falcón, head of the Inter-American Commission, reported that she was already in dialogue with the OAS and the UN High Commissioner to monitor the Brazilian elections by foreign organizations.
However, the foreign representative listened to reports from the participants that the threats to the electoral system had gone far beyond the ballot boxes and had already started heavily in the country.
Camila Gomes from Terra de Direitos/ Plataforma Dhesca was one of the participants and according to her the risks already exist. “The 2018 election has already been marked by unprecedented levels of violence, such as the murders,” the representative said.
Benny Briolly, trans councilor of the municipality of Niterói-RJ, explained that he has already been subjected to attacks. “I come from a session where I was just attacked,” he said. “Maybe I can’t say much. I’ve been the victim of a series of death threats, name-calling, persecution. A car chased my driver this week,” he said.
According to him, there are already four police reports and more than 20 death threats. “It’s getting harder and harder to run the legislature. I am the first trans woman to hold a legislative position in the state of Rio de Janeiro, the birthplace of Bolsonarism. It has become a constant weight in everyday life. I can’t walk on the street. Without falling victim to violence like I just did,” she said.
“I was talking about religious racism at the plenary, and the session was interrupted, occupied. And nothing was done, no support. The police are here, in the Chamber. And this is getting worse, I can’t live. My life.” said.
As a lead candidate in Rio, he says it’s already expanding the array of hacks and fake news. “There are some limitations on my right to come and go. My integrity is always under threat,” he said. According to him, 60% of the money he receives goes towards security and fueling an armored car. “My salary goes entirely towards securing my physical integrity. Some of my actions are limited, I cannot do a range of activities in the legislature because there is no security. Investigations are not responding to lawsuits. This is getting to a point. It explodes,” he complained.
Valdecir Nascimento from the Platform for Social Movements for Reform in the Political System also attended the meeting.
“From the moment black women entered the spheres of power, we began to experience the phenomenon of political violence, because these women have already been subjected to political violence throughout their militant history and they began to suffer a certain type of violence. From violence due to racism to violence in terms of the political and ideological understanding we represent. It takes place within the scope of the Parliament on a wide spectrum.”
Thiago Firbida, representative of the Brazilian Committee for the Defense of Human Rights Defenders, highlighted to the international body that there is an intense process of criminalization and judicial harassment of defenders, now combined with an unprecedented “hate project”. “We are talking about digital attacks that are not new, but have reached a level of sophistication today – direct attacks with both surveillance and active monitoring, as well as hacking of accounts and access to sensitive data,” he warned.
According to him, Brazil is currently experiencing an increase in political violence. “We’re already reaching record cases at various levels. All this in the context of the state’s failure to fully respond to such violations,” he said.
Gisele Barbieri, of Plataforma Dhesca, to the chair of the Continental Commission underlined the alliance between the parties in Congress and the Bolsonaro government for the project “to propose and vote on proposals that reinforce the militarization of the state, authoritarianism, hatred.” speech, high rates of violence, including by government officials, an increase in police deaths, the closure and escalation of civic space and social inclusion, and the criminalization of human rights defenders”.
“All of this is in a scenario that is already violent and dangerous for candidates long before the election process takes place, or for those who simply show dissatisfaction with the current government,” he warned.
In this context, the government remains indifferent to the numerous warnings made by civil society about the risks of these laws in the democratic process, especially in an election year.
According to him, the House of Representatives, in June, will take a week to vote in the plenary on proposals in the field of public safety, and we expect an attack in this sense to give more strength to security. agents for reducing the likelihood of acts of violence and manifestation.
source: Noticias
