The open letter, published today in the Portuguese newspaper Público and signed by 24 lawmakers, criticizes what the text calls the “reckless and dangerous rhetoric” of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) regarding electronic voting machines.
The re-election candidate constantly attacks the electoral system and questions the effectiveness of the already proven electronic voting machines. In July, during a meeting with ambassadors in Palácio da Alvorada, the president once again voiced unfounded suspicions and attacked minister Edson Fachin, who was then head of the TSE (Supreme Electoral Court).
“In light of these serious and all-too-familiar challenges to Brazilian democracy, Portugal has a duty to be vigilant against all attempts that threaten to incite political violence in the country and undermine the integrity of the electoral process,” write the Portuguese parliamentarians.
The text also includes the speech Bolsonaro delivered during the September 7 celebrations attended by Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo. At the time, the candidate adopted a more moderate tone, but referred to the STF in his speech before pausing for swearing and booing from the audience.
“We must reject all attempts to deny election results, suppress peaceful public demonstrations, undermine the ability of minority groups to safely exercise their political rights, attack the press and human rights defenders, incite politicians to violence, or mobilize the Armed Forces. Excerpt from a letter from Portuguese lawmakers
Bolsonaro leads the conversation
As the election approaches, President Jair Bolsonaro is changing his rhetoric about the covid-19 outbreak, women and the election process. The re-election candidate tries to be more moderate and focuses his attacks on former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT), who is leading the polls.
The first setback in Bolsonaro’s recent public statements came on the 12th: in an interview with a podcast pool, he said he had “lost its edge” in the covid-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 685,000 Brazilians. “I was scared. Children [imprensa] They kept pressing the buttons and trying to get me out of my mind,” he said.
When asked about the deaths caused by the disease at the start of the pandemic in April 2020, the president changed it, saying he was not a “gravemaker”, saying he regretted it.
In the same interview, the president avoided the repeated coup d’etat when he attacked the security of the electoral system without proof, saying that if he lost the election he would “hand over the wing to the winner”.
source: Noticias
