Brazilian democracy depends on Bolsonaro’s exemplary accountability, says Lula’s minister – 06/26/2023 – Politics

The Minister of Human Rights and Citizenship, Silvio Almeida, defended exemplary punishment of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), in a process that could make him ineligible and that should be resumed this Tuesday (27) by the TSE (Superior Electoral Court). ).

According to Almeida, the actions of the former representative during the pandemic and the attacks on institutions and the electoral system were decisive for the coup actions of January 8, when demonstrators invaded and destroyed the headquarters of the three Powers.

“Former President Jair Bolsonaro has an appointment with the Brazilian Justice, which needs to look into the acts he committed and which were crucial to destabilize not only Brazilian democracy, which remained standing despite attempts, but also destabilize the social imaginary about Brazilian democracy, which certainly was a very important fuel for the acts of January 8 that we saw”, said the minister.

According to Almeida, Bolsonaro’s condemnation is fundamental for the maintenance of democracy in the country.

“The systematic discrediting of Brazilian democracy, of the electoral process, declarations of total contempt for human life, all of this makes the functioning of Brazilian democracy depend on exemplary accountability of the former president who greatly contributed to us living in a dark moment. in Brazilian history,” he said.

The declarations were given at a press conference after an event where he was honored and gave a lecture on Advocacy and Human Rights. The meeting was promoted by Iasp (Institute of Lawyers of São Paulo).

During the lecture, the minister pointed out that the Ministry of Human Rights and Advocacy have three challenges: facing inequality and poverty; strengthen democracy; and fight against racism and all kinds of prejudice.

“There is no advocacy with the devastation of the Brazilian economy, advocacy does not survive in this scenario. Human Rights need to be connected to an agenda of economic development in the country, which is a fact of intimate relationship with maintaining the stability of Brazilian institutions”, defined .

The minister recalled that democracy is not just about voting, but it is necessary to guarantee popular participation in public policies.

“I’m talking about the effective participation of people in political processes, people being heard in the construction of their own destiny. It is not possible that three people inside a cabinet can define the course of everyone in the country”, he evaluated.

Almeida stated that the fight against racism has a role of high relevance.

“Racism is a process of dehumanizing people, who are now considered second-class. Racism plays an important role in legitimizing the organization of social inequality. Democracy is impossible when it has racism as a structural element”, he concluded.

The action against Bolsonaro at the TSE began to be analyzed on Thursday (22) and the perspective is that the trial will only end next Thursday (29).

The trial was suspended after the reading of the report by the Inspector General of the Electoral Justice, Minister Benedito Gonçalves, and the manifestations of the lawyers of the PDT, author of the action, and of the former representative.

The content and circumstances of the meeting with ambassadors held by the then president last year are at the heart of the electoral action that began to be judged by the Electoral Justice.

At the time, less than three months before the first round, Bolsonaro made false and distorted statements about the electoral process. He also sought to discredit TSE ministers.

According to current legislation, if convicted, he will be able to run again in 2030, aged 75, thus staying away from three elections until then (one of them being the 2026 national).