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 criticisms of institutions and the electoral system.

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, two presidential election month.

"Great danger to democratic normality"

"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 Bolsonaro by name.

Important employer associations to support

The head of state, in power since early 2019 and candidate for a second term, continues to criticize the electronic voting system in force in Brazil since 1996, fueling fears that he will not recognize the result of the presidential election in case of defeat.

The latest polls give him a big loser against the left-wing ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2003-2010).

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 Economy Paulo Guedes.

Hacking attempts

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”.

The USP petition is to be read in public at a ceremony that could turn into a demonstration on August 11 in Sao Paulo.

According to local media, the site that collects signatures has been the target of several hacking attempts.

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