#Brazilian #NGOs #calling #quickly #recognize #election #winner
Brazilian non-governmental groups met with US politicians on Tuesday to urge swift recognition of the winner of the Oct. 2 election as President Jair Bolsonaro seeks to cast doubt on the electoral system.
A delegation from 19 civil society groups held talks at the State Department and with members of Congress and said they warned of threats to democracy posed by the far-right incumbent.
“International attention is crucial at this time,” said Paulo Abrao, executive director of the Washington Brazil office that organized the visit.
“We want to inform foreign authorities about the reality of the electoral process from the perspective of civil society so that they are not at the mercy of executive branch pronouncements,” she said.
In a statement, the NGOs called on the United States to “promptly recognize” the outcome of the election once the official results are in.
Flavia Pellegrino of Pacto Pela Democracia, or Pact for Democracy, one of the groups represented, said Brazil faces a threat from “an authoritarian ruler who is undermining institutions from within”.
“This is not boasting or speculation – there is a coupe-like movement underway in Brazil. We want the election to be recognized and respected, whoever wins,” she said.
The State Department confirmed the meeting and described it as routine. US diplomats meet regularly with members of civil society from around the world.
“Brazil has a strong track record of conducting free and fair elections with transparency and high turnout,” a State Department spokesman said.
The spokesman implicitly dismissed Bolsonaro’s cheating allegations, saying: “We are confident that the 2022 Brazilian election will reflect the will of voters.”
Bolsonaro is trailing in polls behind former President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, a left-wing icon jailed on a controversial corruption conviction.
Bolsonaro was one of former US President Donald Trump’s closest international allies and has spoken positively about the Jan. 6, 2021 riot in the US Capitol.
Bolsonaro appeared to be taking a page out of Trump’s playbook, opening his campaign on Sunday with a fiery speech warning of election irregularities and his supporters calling for Lula’s jailing.
Social Tags:
#Brazilian #NGOs #calling #quickly #recognize #election #winner