Join WOLA and the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights for a webinar update on the status of critical rights in Bolsonaro’s Brazil amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Event Details:
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. EST
Tweet your questions during the event using the hashtag #WOLABrazil
Featuring:
Camila Asano
Program Coordinator, Conectas Direitos Humanos
Maria Herminia Brandão Tavares de Almeida
Professor of Political Science (Retired), Universidade de São Paulo (USP)
Senior Researcher, Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning (CEBRAP)
Carlos Quesada
Executive Director, International Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights
Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli
Director for the Andes, WOLA
Moderated by:
Geoff Thale
President, WOLA
A little more than a year ago, Jair Bolsonaro was inaugurated as president of Brazil after running an aggressive right-wing, populist campaign. Since taking office, he’s implemented a hardline conservative economic and security agenda, as well as advanced an anti-democratic, anti-human rights, and intolerant agenda. In particular, his rhetoric and agenda has targeted historically vulnerable groups: he removed protections for indigenous and quilomboa’s ancestral lands and lives; scapegoated environmental activists in response to the 2019 Amazon fires; and repressed non-governmental organizations, all while dismantling labor rights, denying migrant rights, and militarizing public security. While his actions and rhetoric have earned him the friendship of the Trump administration, they’ve decimated human rights in Brazil at a key moment in history for the country.
Even further, the critical rights situation of Brazil is now being compounded by the global public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Bolsonaro has risked the lives of his citizens by willfully spreading misinformation on the pandemic, and has also taken advantage of the crisis by restricting freedom of the press. As the virus continues to spread in the country, it will disproportionately impact vulnerable populations throughout Brazil.