Brazil: a petition collects 500,000 signatures to defend democracy against Bolsonaro
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro reacted strongly to this petition on social networks.
AP - Eraldo Peres
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
A petition for "
the defense of democracy
" in Brazil has collected more than half a million signatures, including those of heavyweight employers, in response to President Jair Bolsonaro's criticism of institutions and the electoral system.
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Launched by members of the Faculty of Law of the University of Sao Paulo (USP), this "
Letter to Brazilian men and women in defense of the democratic state of law
" exceeded 546,000 signatures on Saturday at midday, at two months of the presidential election.
"
We are living in a moment of great danger for democratic normality, of risk for institutions, with insinuations of non-respect for the results of the elections
", believe the authors of the text, also signed by former judges of the Supreme Court, and many artists, such as the famous singer Chico Buarque.
“
Unfounded and unproven attacks call into question the electoral process and the democratic rule of law won with great struggle by Brazilian society.
Threats against other powers (...), incitement to violence and institutional rupture are intolerable
, ”continues the petition, which at no time cites President Jair Bolsonaro by name.
Membership of employers' federations
The head of state, in power since early 2019 and
a candidate for a second term
, has repeatedly criticized the electronic voting system in force in Brazil since 1996, fueling fears that he will not recognize the result of the vote. presidential in the event of defeat.
The USP petition has collected the signatures of important business associations, such as the federation of banks (Febraban) and the very influential Federation of Industries of Sao Paulo (Fiesp).
In 2016, the Fiesp had played a leading role in the mass mobilization which had favored the dismissal of the left-wing president Dilma Rousseff.
The adhesion of this institution to the petition is seen as a reversal by many observers, the business community having supported Jair Bolsonaro during his election in 2018, attracted in particular by the ultra-liberal speech of the current Minister of the Economy Paulo Guedes.
Lula leads in the polls
The far-right president did not hide his displeasure.
“
Who is against democracy in Brazil?
We are for transparency, legality, we respect the constitution.
I did not understand this petition
, ”he reacted Thursday, during his weekly live on Facebook.
On Friday, he sarcastically tweeted his own “
Democracy Letter,
” with this succinct message: “
Through this letter, I declare that I am pro-democracy.
Signed Jair Messias Bolsonaro, President of Brazil
”.
- CARTA DE MANIFESTO EM FAVOR DA DEMOCRACIA
"Por meio desta, manifesto que sou a favor da democracia."
Assinado: Jair Messias Bolsonaro, President of the Republic of Federativa do Brasil.
— Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) July 29, 2022
In a survey by the benchmark institute Datafolha published Thursday, Jair Bolsonaro was 18 points behind former left-wing president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2003-2010).
The big favorite in the ballot shows 47% of voting intentions, against 29% for Jair Bolsonaro.
► Also to listen: Presidential election in Brazil: "Jair Bolsonaro leaves with a big handicap"
(
With
AFP)
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Brazil
Jair Bolsonaro