Bankers and businessmen sign manifesto for democracy; see list

Businessmen, bankers, jurists and other representatives of society have articulated to reaffirm confidence in the electoral system, amid the escalation of attacks made by President Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

Among the signatories are Arminio Fraga, economist and former president of the Central Bank, Candido Botelho Bracher, former president of Itaú, Claudio Haddad, former president of Insper, José Guimarães Monforte, former chairman of the Board of Directors of BB, and José Olympio Pereira, former president of Credit Suisse in Brazil.

This Tuesday (26), the USP Law School published the list of signatories of a manifesto that defends democracy and the electoral process scheduled for October. The complete list can be seen in the file published this Tuesday by the faculty.

The document is also signed by Maria Sílvia Bastos and Luciano Coutinho, economists and former presidents of BNDES, Pedro Moreira Salles, chairman of the board of directors of Itaú Unibanco, and Roberto Setubal, former president of Banco Itaú.

Among the economists, Affonso Celso Pastore, Edmar Bacha, Elena Landau, Jose Roberto Afonso, Jose Roberto Afonso, Ana Carla Abrão, Bernard Appy, Fabio Giambiagi, Jose Roberto Mendonça de Barros, Luiz Gonzaga Beluzzo and Mário Theodoro are also on the list.

The letter is also endorsed by artists such as actors Eduardo Moscovis, Paulo Betti, Bete Mendes, Dira Paes and Debora Bloch, musicians Chico Buarque and Arnaldo Antunes, presenters Cissa Guimarães and Astrid Fontenelle. The journalist and columnist of Sheet Reinaldo Azevedo.

Last Saturday, a report by the Sheet published the full text of the document, which mentions that Brazil has three Powers (Executive, Legislative and Judiciary), “all independent, autonomous and committed to respecting and ensuring compliance with the greater pact, the Federal Constitution”.

The document also reinforces the defense of the electronic voting and counting system, which has been the target of systematic attacks by President Bolsonaro, in second place in electoral polls.

“Our elections with the electronic counting process have served as an example in the world. We had several alternations of power regarding the results of the polls and the republican transition of government. The electronic voting machines proved to be safe and reliable, as well as the Electoral Justice.”

The document emphasizes that with the proximity of the elections, the country is going through a moment of danger for democratic normality, risk to institutions and insinuations of contempt for the result of the election.

“Unfounded attacks unaccompanied by evidence question the fairness of the electoral process and the democratic rule of law so hard won by Brazilian society. Threats to other powers and sectors of civil society and the incitement to violence and the rupture of the constitutional order are intolerable” , follows the text.

The intensification of the president’s attacks on the polls and the risk of a new act with coup speeches scheduled for September 7 have brought together businessmen, executives and bankers in public demonstrations in defense of democracy.

Entities prepare a second manifesto

In the wake of the new edition of the letter, a second text (made by entities, unions and business associations) is also being prepared.

Events with this objective are scheduled for August 11, at the USP Law School (University of São Paulo), in São Paulo, with the reading of the different manifestos.

One of them should bring together businessmen and representatives of society, at 10 am, in the Salão Nobre, when the manifesto of business entities and associations will be read. In the other, at 11:30 am, the new edition of the manifesto “Letter to Brazilians” will be read in the courtyard of the college.