NGOs, academics, indigenous people, black movements, lawyers and activists come together to denounce human rights abuses under Jair Bolsonaro’s government, warn the world about the risks to democracy, and try to protect the country’s electoral process abroad.
The hope is that any possibility of a democratic break in the country in the coming weeks will be met with international condemnation, with increasing pressure on businessmen who may be sympathetic to Bolsonaro, the military and even more authoritarian movements.
Starting next week, dozens of events, meetings, seminars and condemnations will be held in Europe and the US to alert the world to the situation in Brazil.
The reporting agenda will also be intense at the UN. Starting Monday, around 15 representatives from different civil society groups will meet with the international body to raise awareness of the status of attacks on minorities and other human rights issues.
The event was already on the agenda of the international presence. However, it gains a new dimension in the face of attacks on democracy. All major organizations in the industry will be part of the delegation, including Article 19, National Campaign for Education Rights, Indigenous Missionary Council, Igarapé Institute, Marielle Franco Institute, Institute for Development and Human Rights, Global Justice and others.
For Antonio Neto, a researcher at Justica Global, Brazil has experienced “one of the biggest attacks on democracy in the post-dictatorship era” in recent years. “We are one of the most dangerous countries for human rights defenders to act in. Violence against Indigenous peoples is on the rise as loggers and illegal mining activities drive their way into their lands. Institutional violence linked to public safety has directly affected our population and youth each year. Political violence against black women and parliamentarians, physical and it has always been in the virtual environment,” he said.
Our democracy is under control in this scenario where racism, machismo and LGBTphobia are deepened by a president who incites violence against people, social movements and non-governmental organisations, by a government that constantly attacks and reduces the spaces for civil society participation. and these attacks have been repeatedly condemned internationally,” he said.
According to him, the delegation will defend “democracy, human rights and the rights of people subjected to this violence”.
Enéias da Rosa of the Statement on Human Rights Watch in Brazil also warns against the risk of democratic rupture. In the face of all the threats of coups affecting society and democratic institutions conveyed by the current president and re-election candidate, the election process in Brazil is a crucial moment for the democratic game and the direction of the country. aforementioned.
“In this sense, it is essential that free elections are secured in terms of poll results,” he said.
“On the other hand, the democracy agenda in the country has entered an important trajectory after the re-democratization process, but there are still many challenges to overcome,” he said.
“The country still has a lot to do to confront historical ills that benefit privileged segments, not society as a whole, particularly groups that have historically suffered abuses or lack access to basic rights such as indigenous peoples, traditional peoples, and communities in general. , but especially black women, young people from the background, the LGBTQIA+ community, among others,” he said.
IDDH representative Fernanda Lapa explained that the mobilization aimed to “present and denounce to the international community the cracks that have occurred in our democracy in recent years”.
“Even in the face of so many attacks and setbacks to human rights in Brazil, we have not given up and continue our work to monitor fundamental violations of the communities, groups and peoples most affected,” he said.
“We will present several reports that are democratically prepared with the participation of organizations from all regions of Brazil, proving the situation with scientific and serious data, not with news or false rhetoric that harmfully divides society,” he said.
The Brazilian Association for Investigative Journalism is also part of the delegation and will lead UN meetings to condemn the attacks against the press by Bolsonaro’s allies. According to the agency, there was a 350% increase in attacks against media professionals between 2019 and 2021. Last year alone, there were 453 recorded events.
On September 1, the People’s Permanent Court will announce its decision on the complaint filed against Bolsonaro. The expectation is that there will be a symbolic condemnation of his government for human rights violations, especially regarding the responses to the pandemic.
Conectas Human Rights will also hold an event at the UN headquarters in Geneva to alert the international community to threats to the electoral system and the functioning of ballot boxes. The attack seeks to capitalize on the concentration of organizations and governments that will become part of the UN Human Rights Council.
Meanwhile, a campaign will be launched at major universities in Europe and the US to make September “the month of defense of Brazilian democracy.” At these centers of excellence, events will discuss the political crisis in Brazil and send a clear message of support for democracy.
Some of the world’s greatest academic centers, such as Harvard University, Brown and Princeton, are mobilizing to encourage discussions and seminars on the state of Brazil and threats to democracy.
The organizer of the initiative, academic James Green, also stated that around 50 events will take place around the world in September to try to create an international awareness of the risks Brazil is currently facing. Green is currently the coordinator of the US Democracy Network in Brazil and Chairman of the Washington Brazil Office.
In addition to the USA, conferences are held in France, Spain, Germany, Portugal and Latin American countries.
In the coming days, a letter will be delivered to the head of the White House, signed by politicians, academics and personalities from around the world. The manifesto by Jair Bolsonaro aims to block the possibility of an eventual democratic break in Brazil having the support of international or US governments.
source: Noticias
