Concerned about the rise in political violence in the country, four Brazilian civil society organizations have published an open letter denouncing the ongoing risks to democracy, which could be exacerbated by the possibility of a coup in this year’s electoral process.

In the document Network Jubileu Sul Brasil, Platform of Social Movements for the Reform of the Political System, the 6th Brazilian Social Week and the 28th Cry of Outcasts and Outcasts confirm that there is an institutional legitimization of political violence that can be exacerbated “in order to create a context of social terror, justifying, for example, a coup in the October elections.”

To prevent this, the organizations emphasize that they will be “on the streets, in networks, in institutions, anywhere, defending what has been won in hard struggle: democracy, the electoral process, the right to self-expression, the right to live in a country whose history needs to be rewrite.”

The open letter also addresses the international community about what is happening in Brazil and calls for “the presence of international observers from human rights organizations during the elections, before the elections and after the elections in October.”

See the full text of the document below and in the attachment.

Do not intimidate us! We will continue to fight for democracy!

“This project is a warning shot at communism.” With these words, State Deputy Joao Enrique Catán (PL/MS), who was in the shooting range, fired several shots from a pistol during the session of the Legislative Assembly of Mato Grosso do Sul, which approved, on May 17 of this year. , a bill to make it easier for people involved in sports shooting to carry guns. The deputy’s shots were aimed at the image with the hammer and sickle, the symbol of communist parties around the world.

A month earlier, in early April, two parliamentary police officers – State Deputy Coronel Telhada (PP/SP) and State Deputy Cabo Junio ​​Amaral (PL/MG) – published a video with firearms and threats to former President Lula (EN). firearms. In the caption to the social media post, Colonel Telhada wrote: “Come on, Lula. You and your pack. I’ll be waiting for you”.

At the end of May 2020, i.e. two years ago, Federal MP Daniel Silveira (PTB/RJ) said in a video posted on social media that he hoped one of the opponents of the federal government would take a “shot in the middle of the cash register”. box”. Daniel also “warned” that many armed police officers were involved in pro-government actions. It is worth recalling that the deputy was recently pardoned by the president after the Federal Supreme Court (STF) ruled on his arrest.

All these cases are reinforced by direct threats against progressive politicians or those associated with leftist parties. In the city of Araraquara, councilor Guilherme Bianco (PCdoB) was bombed after leaving the city hall. Federal deputy Glauber Brahe (PSOL/RJ) was threatened by the chairman of the Legislative Chamber with forced removal from the plenary session of the chamber. In Pernambuco, fellow MP Jo Cavalcanti (PSOL) was threatened by a fellow parliamentarian who said the firearms he had at home “should be used” if intimidated. The three situations described here occurred only in the last week.

It must be made clear: this scenario of political violence and direct threats to democracy has expanded in Brazil since the coup against President Dilma Rousseff in 2016, and since January 1, 2019, when Jair Bolsonaro took over as president from the country.

In fact, this is a scenario that cuts across different points in Brazilian history, but is now institutionalized and exacerbated in order to create a context of social terror justifying, for example, a coup in the upcoming October elections.

This same violence also has a racist and hateful face towards poor people, blacks and from the periphery. The massacres at Jacarezinho and Vila Cruzeiro in Rio de Janeiro marked the beginning of a “public safety” policy implemented throughout the country. The murder of 38-year-old black Genivaldo de Jesus Santos in a makeshift gas chamber in a federal highway police car, which is therefore public domain, reinforces the feeling of “universal liberation” from acts of violence.

In addition to solidarity with all social movements, public organizations, trade union leaders, party leaders and progressive politicians who have fallen victim to these threats and attacks, we want to loudly declare: they will not intimidate us! The defense of democracy is in our genesis and we will continue to fight for it every day.

We will be on the streets, in networks, in institutions, anywhere, defending what has been hard fought: democracy, the electoral process, the right to self-expression, the right to live in a country whose history needs to be rewritten. For us!

We also emphasize the importance of the international community’s view of what is happening in Brazil at the moment and call for the presence of international observers from human rights organizations during the elections, before the elections and after the elections in October.

2022 marks the 200th anniversary of Brazil’s independence. More than ever, it needs to be reaffirmed that we will continue to fight day and night for the country we dream of, deserve and need.

Sao Paulo, 6 June 2022

Southern Brazil Jubilee Network

Platform of social movements for the reform of the political system

6th Brazilian Social Week

28th Cry of the Excluded and the Excluded