The NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a statement on Thursday (28) demanding that Brazilian federal and state authorities protect “voters, candidates, servants and volunteers of the Electoral Justice” in this Sunday’s elections.
Among the main concerns with the election cited by the entity are political violence, attacks on journalists and the press and attempts to undermine confidence in the electoral system.
The note compiles data that indicate an increase in these threats on the eve of the vote, such as the growth in records of intimidation and aggression against political leaders and offenses to the press on social networks.
The text also cites the decision of the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) to prohibit the carrying of weapons within a radius of 100 meters from polling stations as indicative of “the risk of violence during the electoral period”.
The determination, in force in the 48 hours before and the day after the vote, even prevents military personnel from carrying firearms. Agents on duty and authorized by the electoral authority are exceptions.
“The international community should be on the side of the Brazilian people and unequivocally reject any attempt to undermine the right to freely choose their representatives”, says Juanita Goebertus, HRW director for the Americas.
The statement is published amid growing international apprehension surrounding the election, the target of successive coup threats by President Jair Bolsonaro (PL). Candidate for reelection, he has questioned the reliability of electronic voting machines without providing evidence.
About ten days ago, in an interview with SBT, he said, for example, that if he didn’t get 60% of the votes, “something abnormal happened inside the TSE.” The most recent Datafolha poll indicates that the president has 33% of voting intentions. His main opponent, PT Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has 47%.
Against this backdrop, the NGO declared that voters have the right to express themselves “free from violence or the threat of violence” and to vote “without undue influence or coercion of any kind.” The text also recalls that these guidelines are not only expressed in the UN guidelines but also integrate the definitions of human rights in international law.
This Wednesday (28), the US Senate approved by consensus a resolution in favor of respect for democracy in Brazil.
The motion asks the Bolsonaro government to ensure that the vote takes place “in a free, fair, credible, transparent and peaceful manner” and advocates that the Joe Biden administration automatically recognize the result of the election and review relations between countries in the event of a coup.
Also on Wednesday, 50 members of the European Parliament delivered a letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the head of foreign policy of the bloc, Josep Borell, asking the European Union to monitor the election and support the country’s democratic institutions. .
A week earlier, UN rapporteurs had asked Brazilian authorities to protect the electoral process.
In the same period, Human Rights Watch expressed a position similar to that expressed in this note in a joint letter with other civil society organizations. In it, he asked the Public Ministry to ensure that the police carry out their duties and disclose their plans to guarantee security during the vote.
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
