(Sao Paulo) “Political violence is destroying Brazilian democracy,” said a UN special rapporteur on Friday, showing his concern six months before a presidential election that promises to be “very polarized.”
Posted at 5:08 p.m.
“My biggest concern is that there is violence during the electoral process and that some are questioning the legitimacy of the results”, declared during a press conference Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, special rapporteur for the United Nations on the right to peaceful assembly.
This Togolese jurist, who has just completed a 12-day official visit to Brazil, announced that he would submit a preliminary report on Monday.
For the October presidential election, a duel of titans is looming between far-right president Jair Bolsonaro and left-wing ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Mr. Bolsonaro has repeatedly criticized the electronic ballot box system, deeming it “fraudulent” without providing proof and raising fears that he will not recognize the result of the presidential election in the event of defeat.
After the invasion of the Capitol in Washington in January 2021, Mr. Bolsonaro warned that Brazil would have “an even worse problem than the United States” if it continued to use this system.
“Discussions must be based on facts” to avoid “creating a climate of insecurity” around the election, said the UN rapporteur, without mentioning the name of Jair Bolsonaro.
According to him, the state’s mission is to avoid “any discrimination, misinformation and hate speech” during the electoral process.
Mr. Voule also spoke of the assassination of the black municipal councilor of Rio de Janeiro Marielle Franco, who was shot dead in 2018.
The alleged shooter has been arrested, but the investigation has still not made it possible to identify the sponsors of this crime.
This case “must be clarified, to guarantee that a black candidate can participate in elections in complete safety”, estimated Mr. Voule.