International questioning about the October election in Brazil angers the government and prompts Itamaraty to take action against criticism and warnings. This Friday, Jair Bolsonaro’s government decided to follow the line adopted by some authoritarian regimes around the world and publicly criticize the “behaviour” of a UN rapporteur who dared to warn of the risk of violence against certain groups in the country. election context.
Clément Nyaletossi Voule, the United Nations rapporteur on freedom of association, was to warn about the country in front of all governments that are part of the Human Rights Council. This was the fourth episode of the UN’s public criticism of Brazil in just one week. The frequency of questioning is considered a sign of international concern in a national context.
In March this year the rapporteur carried out a mission to Brazil. However, its report will only be submitted in June 2023. Despite this, he took advantage of his presence at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to express his concern about Brazil’s situation.
“I reiterate my grave concern at the high level of violence against human rights defenders, local communities, quilombolas and indigenous peoples, as well as political leaders and Afro-descendants,” he said.
“I urge the government to ensure that these groups can exercise their right to organize without fear of persecution, especially in the context of elections,” Voule said. said.
The rapporteur also made it clear that he was impressed by the diversity and resilience of Brazilian civil society, which has an “important role” in supporting democracy and the most vulnerable in the face of the epidemic.
Minutes later, the Brazilian delegation demanded a right of reply and questioned the rapporteur. “Brazil regrets that some of the rapporteur’s recommendations and comments did not fully take into account the standard of professional behavior that attorneys must follow.” According to Itamaraty, a more complete response to the rapporteur’s criticisms will only come “in 2023, at the appropriate time”.
Brazil reaffirmed the commitment of all national bodies to hold the October 2022 elections “in a free, fair and transparent manner in accordance with our Constitution and international obligations”.
the government raised its tone
Last Tuesday, the government also insisted on countering international concerns about elections in the country. “We reiterate our firmest commitment to holding free, fair, transparent and secure elections for all, as enshrined in our Constitution and international obligations,” said Tovar Nunes, Brazil’s ambassador to the UN.
However, he raised the tone in a gesture that was interpreted as a message to the UN that the government refused to accept comments made about the election.
“Now, if there is one thing we agree on, it is that there is no room for inference from anywhere. At this crucial moment for democracy in Brazil, we are supported by the independence and autonomy of our institutions and within the constitutional framework of separation of powers,” he added.
The day before, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called for and warned of a “democratic” process that was “non-existent”, demanding independence from national institutions in an election year, in an action rarely seen in relation to Brazil. Violence against women, blacks and representatives of the LGBTI+ movement running for election began in October.
Bachelet included Brazil in her report on the issues concerning the party, which she submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Two hours after speaking at a press conference, Bachelet raised her voice when asked about Brazil. “You have elections in October. And I want elections from all over the world to be fair, transparent and people can participate freely,” he said. “This will be a very important democratic moment and for the democratic process to take place there should be no interference by any party,” he insisted.
Bachelet, who is Chile’s former president and has been in conflict with President Jair Bolsonaro since 2019, chose to raise the alarm about the election in his latest speech before the international body. At the same meeting, he announced that he would not resume the UN’s highest human rights mandate after four years in office.
Although he did not specify the name of Jair Bolsonaro and his attacks on the judiciary and the organs responsible for elections in writing, he also made a statement about the institutions. “I call on the authorities to ensure respect for fundamental rights and independent institutions,” Bachelet said.
source: Noticias
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