Photo: Manuel Ortiz / Global Exchange / Peninsula 360 Press / United Journalists
By Alejandro Meléndez and Irene Galindo. United Journalists / Global Exchange / Peninsula 360 Press
São Paulo, Brazil. September 30, 2022.- In an exhausting debate that lasted more than three hours on the Brazilian television network O Globo, former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the favorite for Sunday's presidential elections in Brazil, became the main target of attacks from his rivals on Thursday.
Lula was attacked primarily by President Jair Bolsonaro, who, together with the folkloric candidate “Father Kelmon,” as the priest Kelmon Luis da Silva, candidate of the Brazilian Workers' Party (PTB), identified himself, questioned Lula about the alleged corruption in his government and his opposition to religion.
The PTB candidate attended the debate dressed in religious attire and, as a member of the Peruvian Orthodox Catholic Apostolic Church, is recognized in Brazil as an orange candidate, which are those candidates who have minimal electoral representation, but who dedicate themselves to attacking the leading candidate.
Former President Lula closed the debate by saying that he is proud of the educational programs created during the Workers' Party governments, such as FIES, Prouni and Science Without Borders, "which sent 100,000 young people to study abroad."
Lula said he will return to the Presidency of the Republic because the people know of his ability to govern.
"There are three or four different types of proposals here. There are those who have a proven track record in this country and it has worked for them, people know what happened in that country. There are those who make promises, there are those who govern. The people can elect someone who knew how to resolve the situation in Brazil," stressed Lula da Silva.
"I always say that the problem is not governing, it is taking care of people, creating jobs, increasing salaries, increasing the wage bill, improving health, improving education, creating universities," he said, promising to break the 100-year secrecy pact imposed by Bolsonaro to hide the crimes of the current administration.
The last televised debate before the elections also included the participation of candidates Ciro Gomes of the Democratic Labour Party, Simone Tebet of the Brazilian Democratic Movement, Soraya Thronicke of Union Brasil, and Luiz Felipe de Ávila of the New Party.
Nina Fideles (centro) y Joao Stedile explican el contexto brasileño a unos días de las elecciones. Foto: Ingrid Sánchez P360P
Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva ganará en primera vuelta las elecciones presidenciales en Brasil el próximo 2 de octubre, afirma con mucha contundencia Joāo Pedro Stedile, parte de la dirección nacional del Landless Rural Workers Movement ‒MST‒.
«Estábamos en la idea de que por lo menos en segunda vuelta ganaríamos, sin embargo, en los últimos días del domingo para acá, esa fuerza que está por detrás de las clases empezó a materializarse en la intención de voto y hoy Lula está desde 7 puntos delante de Bolsonaro y nos puede decir incluso matemáticamente, que seguramente Lula va a ganar en la primera vuelta», afirmó durante una charla ofrecida a periodistas de distintas partes del continente.
Para explicarlo, el análisis de Stedile se contextualiza en el comportamiento de las tres principales clases en Brasil: burguesía, clase media y clase popular, esta última afectada profundamente por las medidas impulsadas por la derecha que gobernó el país con Michel Temer entre 2012 y 2018 y luego con Jair Bolsonaro desde el 2018 a la fecha.
Por su parte, la burguesía habría reconsiderado su apoyo a los sectores de derecha pues en las últimas semanas se han reunido con Lula alrededor de 100 grandes empresarios de todo el país con el objetivo de negociar y acercarse con el que parece que será el próximo presidente del país.
El propio Bolsonaro, que ha emprendido una guerra fuerte en contra de Lula y de todos los que le apoyan, ha afirmado que algunos empresarios como los dueños de la televisora Globo, han migrado su apoyo y actualmente son un bastión de apoyo al ex presidente. De acuerdo con Stedile, la televisora, por ejemplo, fue parte de las campañas de fake news impulsadas en 2018 en contra de la izquierda por parte de los sectores de ultraderecha por lo que ahora se podría hablar de cambios en la posición política de esos sectores de la burguesía.
Con voz fuerte pero serena y clara, Stedile desmenuza la situación de las clases en Brasil con una perspectiva que se confiesa ser la de un «cristiano de izquierda», convencido de que el Estado no es ya una respuesta para los brasileños, pero formando parte de una intensa campaña electoral de la izquierda para sacar a Bolsonaro de la presidencia.
Los esfuerzos de las organizaciones de izquierda, aún aquellas que se declaran escépticas de los procesos electorales, se han volcado a convencer a la gente para votar a la izquierda no sólo en el proceso presidencial sino también en los gobiernos y las diputaciones locales.
La clase media, por otra parte, también ha sido afectada por las medidas aplicadas por la ultraderecha, aunque algunos grupos pequeños aún apoyan a Bolsonaro y son los que participan en las manifestaciones de apoyo al presidente.
«Hay una crisis capitalista estructural en todo el mundo y esa crisis vino con más fuerza a Brasil porque somos una economía totalmente dependiente del capital extranjero y del mercado mundial y cuando emergió esa crisis, ella afectó todos los sectores de la vida, primero en la economía, segundo en la sociedad», explicó Stedile.
Uno de los grandes problemas de Brasil, por ejemplo, a partir de la crisis sería el grave problema de desempleo. De acuerdo con las cifras del MST, el país tiene una población de 220 millones, con una fuerza laboral de 150 millones de brasileños y de esos, 72 millones fueron despedidos en los últimos años.
«Es el segundo país de América del Sur: el primero es Brasil y el segundo son los desposeídos de Brasil, 70 millones de adultos», afirmó con contundencia el dirigente nacional del MST.
A la crisis económica se le agrega la crisis política que promovió la burguesía como clase con 4 golpes en contra de la democracia y el pueblo brasileño: la destitución de Dilma Rousseff, las medidas de Temer para prohibir la creación de programas sociales en 20 años, la prisión de Lula y la elección de Bolsonaro.
Joāo Pedro Stedile también denunció la participación de Estados Unidos en el proceso de encarcelamiento del expresidente de Lula debido a que el FBI y el Departamento de Justicia habrían orientado al juez Sergio Moro, encargado del caso.
De acuerdo con el líder del MST, Moro se reunía mensualmente con ellos en Estados Unidos para recibir las orientaciones.
«Todo el proceso fue mentiroso, montado con base en esa nueva táctica que los gringos están difundiendo por toda América Latina que es el law fare», detalló Stedile.
Asimismo, la campaña de «fake news» en 2018 promovida por la ultraderecha brasileña habría estado organizada y financiada por Estados Unidos a partir de la donación de dos grandes computadoras una establecida en Israel y otra en Taiwán, desde donde se expidieron 80 millones de mensajes en 8 horas para crear una campaña de hostigamiento y difamación en contra de la izquierda.
En relación con el tema internacional, de acuerdo con el dirigente del MST, Lula no tendrá una retórica antiimperialista pero tendría dos principales intereses: el fortalecimiento de los BRICS para impulsar las posiciones contrarias a Estados Unidos, promoviendo también la entrada de Indonesia, Turquía y Argentina, países que han solicitado su ingreso; y por otro lado el fortalecimiento de la integración latinoamericana a través de la recuperación de mecanismos como la UNSAR, Celae o el Banco del Sur.
Stedile transmite la posibilidad de una victoria incluso suave y sencilla, frente al discurso violento que Bolsonaro ha promovido en las últimas semanas y en el que resalta la posibilidad de violencia durante la jornada electoral. Stedile, en cambio, solicita con amabilidad, pero con firmeza que los medios no repitan esa retórica pues tiene el objetivo de que la población no salga a votar y, por lo tanto, dificulte la victoria de Lula en la primera vuelta.
«Si Lula no gana, convoco a una nueva rueda de prensa el lunes para hacer mi autocrítica», dijo el dirigente con una sonrisa.
Working to support communities impacted by Hurricane Ian, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the deployment of emergency management and mass response specialists to Florida to support the state’s response to the ongoing crisis.
“California stands with the people of Florida,” Newsom said. “Our state is all too familiar with the impact of natural disasters, and we stand ready to provide the necessary relief and support to the communities affected by this horrific storm.”
In response to a request from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Newsom directed the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to send an initial five-person team of mass care experts to facilitate shelters for those displaced by the hurricane, as well as emergency operations center personnel to support the Florida State Operations Center in Tallahassee.
California has indicated to Florida that it will make additional personnel and resources available if needed to support hurricane response or recovery operations.
Previously, Cal OES approved the deployment of local government firefighters in Florida as part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Response System.
Currently, there are California US&R specialists and firefighters from the following local agencies in Florida actively working to save lives: Los Angeles County Fire Department, Orange County Fire Authority, Riverside Fire Department, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department, Sacramento County Fire Department, Chula Vista Fire Department, and San Diego Fire Department.
Hurricane Ian made landfall as one of the strongest storms ever to hit Florida and continues to move across the state with high winds, rain and storm surge that left people stranded.
Flooding and power outages continue to impact communities across the state and significant damage has occurred to homes, businesses and public infrastructure.
Joined by advocates and farmworkers outside the state Capitol, Gavin Newsom signed legislation Thursday that expands union rights for farmworkers, after the United Farm Workers (UFW) and the California Federation of Labor agreed in a letter to clarify language to be passed during next year’s legislative session to address Governor Newsom’s concerns about the implementation and integrity of the vote.
“California’s farmworkers are the lifeblood of our state and have the fundamental right to unionize and advocate for themselves in the workplace,” Newsom said. “Our state has been defined by heroic farmworker activism, championed by American icons like Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, and Larry Itliong. California is proud to support the next generation of leaders carrying on this movement.”
Assemblymember Mark Stone’s AB 2183 bill creates new ways for farmworkers to vote in a union election, including options for mail-in ballots and authorization cards sent to the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board, in addition to existing in-person voting.
The supplemental agreement between the Newsom Administration, the UFW and the California Federation of Labor includes a limit on the number of card check requests over the next five years, and will allow the ALRB to adequately protect worker confidentiality and security.
This additional agreement would be codified into law next year and would be supported by both management and the union.
According to a statement from the Governor's Office, this legislation also builds on state action to support workers and promote workplace safety.
Earlier this year, Governor Newsom signed legislation to empower fast food workers with a new mechanism to enact wage and labor protections to support their health, safety, and well-being.
In 2021, the Governor also signed legislation to protect warehouse workers from unsafe production quotas and legislation to end the exploitation of piece-rate compensation for garment industry workers.
Newsom also signed a measure directing Cal/OSHA to create an advisory committee to recommend state policies to protect domestic workers and a bill to ensure that workers with disabilities receive fair wages.
Peninsula Humane Society (PHS) and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) have seen a dramatic increase in the number of huskies being adopted at their shelters, the agencies announced this week.
With that in mind, qualified adopters are needed, and organizations offer a special adoption package that includes free training and a toy, leash, collar and harness for those who want to open their homes to a new furry friend.
“A common question among potential adopters when they visit our shelter is, ‘Why do you have so many huskies? ’” said Buffy Martin Tarbox, PHS/SPCA communications manager. “The simple answer may be that these dogs are the latest in a long line of trendy animals that have become popular thanks to pop culture.”
Tarbox noted that the dire wolves in "Game of Thrones" resemble giant husky wolf dogs.
“It’s possible that fans of the series were looking for their own replica of the direwolf and found the husky,” he said. “But unfortunately, they may not have been prepared for this special and energetic breed.”
There are currently 15 huskies and husky mixes available for adoption in Burlingame, which is 50 percent of the total dogs available, PHS said.
Huskies are excellent family pets that require plenty of activity, both physically and mentally. They are known for their loyalty and love of being with people. They can be quite independent and can sometimes be escape artists, the PHS said.
Households with previous experience with this breed who are looking for a new pet are therefore encouraged to consider adopting one of these "mini dire wolves."
Each adoptable dog has been spayed or neutered, microchipped and vaccinated. Dog adoption fees are $160.
The Brazilian elections on Sunday, October 2, and the electronic voting system are safe, said the president of the Inter-American Union of Electoral Organizations (UNIORE), Lorenzo Córdova, in an exclusive interview with Península 360 Press and Global Exchange.
The president of the National Electoral Institute (INE) of Mexico also stated that in a few days a technical report prepared by UNIORE to evaluate the reliability of electronic voting in Brazil will be published.
"In a couple of days we will present the technical report of the UNIORE mission that monitored and issued an opinion on the electronic ballot box and that reveals the certainty and strength of this mechanism to be able to generate certainty in the casting of votes," said Córdova.
Electronic elections are not new in Brazil. In fact, they have been used since 1996, so the Brazilian electoral authorities have been able to perfect over time the use of this mechanism so that Brazilians can cast their vote.
The certainty that UNIORE provides regarding electronic voting becomes relevant in the context of the statements made by Jair Bolsonaro, current president and candidate for re-election, in which he has pointed out that elections are not reliable and that it is possible to intervene in the software to generate electoral fraud. However, various studies and investigations by Brazilian electoral authorities point to the reliability of the voting system.
"I think it will be a great day for Brazilian democracy and the democratic path will be vindicated as the path that Brazilians have built for 30 years, as the legitimate way to go out and vote. And the electronic ballot box will be vindicated as a mechanism of electoral certainty that Brazilians have been testing election after election since 1996 as a mechanism of certainty and legal strength," said Lorenzo Córdova.
In his most recent statements, Jair Bolsonaro has questioned the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) and the electronic vote itself, pointing out that the ballots should be printed; in addition, the current president has declared in recent weeks that the armed forces should participate in the electoral process as an arbitrator.
According to polls from at least nine companies, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is ahead of Bolsonaro three days before the elections. According to Ipec/Globo, Lula has obtained 48 percent of the voting intention of those surveyed and Bolsonaro 31 percent; according to Datafloha/folha the difference is smaller since the candidate of the Workers' Party has 47 percent of the preferences compared to 33 percent of the current president.
This note was made with the support of the organization Global Exchange in collaboration with Peninsula 360 Press.
The first-ever San Mateo County Climate Summit will be held to foster collective commitment to equitable adaptation to climate change.
The San Mateo County Climate Summit will be held next Monday, October 3rd from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the Stanford University campus in Redwood City and will be co-organized by local organizations Climate Resilient Communities, Nuestra Casa, Rise South City, and Thrive Alliance.
The summit is supported by Stanford's Doerr School of Sustainability, the Haas Center for Sustainability, the Haas Center for Public Service and the Office of Community Engagement.
“Climate change is not a distant threat, it is already here and impacting frontline communities in San Mateo County,” said Violet Wulf-Saena, executive director of Climate Resilient Communities.
This comes as climate change exacerbates heat, flooding, wildfires and poor air quality across the region — phenomena that disproportionately affect low-income communities of color.
Decision-makers must therefore identify and address adaptation strategies that ensure community safety, health and livelihoods.
The theme of this year’s summit is Building Collective Commitment to Ensure Climate Adaptation and Equity, and will bring together local residents, community-based organizations, city and county agencies, elected officials, funders, and business leaders to discuss how to ensure equitable, community-led climate adaptation in San Mateo County.
“Local residents are the experts in their own community – they live there, take their children to and from school, and shop in the area – so it is important that their views are taken into account when looking for mitigation solutions,” said Julio Garcia, Executive Director of Rise South City, stressing the importance of community-led adaptation.
San Mateo County Supervisor Dave Pine and Menlo Park Councilmember Cecilia Taylor will open the summit, followed by three panels with local leaders and experts.
The Adaptation and Equity panel, moderated by Violet Wulf-Saena, Executive Director of Climate Resilient Communities, will discuss translating science into community-led policy and practice.
Meanwhile, the Community Leadership panel, moderated by Miriam Yupanqui, executive director of Nuestra Casa, will focus on how to shift power to frontline communities.
The summit’s final panel on Resources and Responsibility, moderated by Julio Garcia, CEO of Rise South City, will address how government and philanthropy can better fund climate resilience based on community priorities.
The event will conclude with a special presentation by young people and a call for collective commitment towards equitable climate adaptation that prioritizes frontline communities.
“We are delighted to be coming together during this summit to discuss community-led solutions,” Yupanqui explained. “We strongly believe that our community members hold the solutions to the challenges they face.”
This will be the second of Stanford’s Office of Community Engagement Regional Forums.
The Climate Summit will be held both in-person and virtually. In-person registration is limited to 150 participants.
A comienzos de septiembre de este 2022 se abrió un espacio de diálogo y de compartición de experiencias que sembró, posiblemente, semillas que se convertirán en frutos en un futuro no muy lejano. Por un lado, el trabajo documental de Emily Cohen, llamado sabiamente «Fruits of Labor» ‒2021‒ se presentó en tierras michoacanas, no sólo en el circuito del festival Ambulante sino en la intimidad del El Gran Calavera Cultural Center, en Pátzcuaro. Y, por otra parte, habitantes de esta región lacustre y campesinos de comunidades afectadas por la presencia de empresas agroindustriales.
Ashley, Ximena, protagonistas y Emily Cohen, directora del documental «Fruits of labor». Foto: Heriberto Paredes
Partiendo de que el cine reúne y genera reacciones que nos tocan en lo más profundo de nuestro ser, este documental ‒que recomiendo no se pierdan cuando lo vean estrenado en su cine o festival más cercano‒ remueve la tierra, misma que es trabajada por las manos de las dos protagonistas.
Located in Santa Cruz, California, Ashley and Ximena are part of the working class who grow and harvest strawberries in the large fields of companies such as Driscoll’s, una de las más explotadoras y agresivas con la tierra dentro del mundo de la agroindustria.
Y precisamente es este el punto de partida no sólo del documental –del que no haré spoiler por supuesto–, sino de la relación que se tejió entre campesinos michoacanos afectados por esta misma empresa y la planta refrigeradora que construyó en el municipio de Huiramba. También asistieron mujeres trabajadoras en la zona de Zamora y personas que, viviendo en Pátzcuaro, han visto cómo las tierras que antes alimentaban la cultura culinaria de las comunidades, hoy se utilizan para satisfacer la demanda de consumo que se ha creado alrededor de las berries. Un producto de moda como el aguacate, y ya sabemos lo que ha hecho el aguacate en su versión agroindustrial.
Resultó muy impresionante escuchar, al final de la proyección, cómo se iban compartiendo las diversas experiencias, a un lado y otro de la frontera, hablando con los mismos términos de lo que ocurría en los campos con los llamados mayordomos ‒una suerte de cuidadores para que se trabaja con eficacia‒, con los permisos para ir al baño, con lo que significa trabajar en el campo y saber que el sueldo no es equivalente a las horas y al esfuerzo del trabajo.
Campesinos de Huiramba y Zamora con el crew del documental «Fruits of labor». Foto: Heriberto Paredes
Y lo que bien empieza, bien acaba, así que, tras escucharnos, tras reconocernos en la imperiosa necesidad de cambiar el rumbo, cuidar la tierra, frenar a estas moles agroindustriales y recuperar lo que nos ha dado vida e identidad, llegó la hora de la comida, la hora, como dicen en algunas tradiciones, de «compartir el pan y la sal». Aunque en realidad la comida del Gran Calavera fue una delicia, así como lo fue el sentarnos a la mesa juntes, continuando con la plática ‒ejercicio del diálogo que también trajo risas y emociones‒.
De un lado u otro de la frontera habrá siempre lazos que nos hermanan y que nos hacen reconocernos, a veces estos vínculos son sorprendentes, pero en otras ocasiones, como en esta, más que sorpresa lo que hubo fue la conservación de que no hay frontera alguna que pueda frenar el amor a la tierra, el apego a la vida que de ella emana y la necesidad de escucharnos para establecer caminos de solidaridad entre comunidades. De eso también está compuesto Michoacalifornia.
Heriberto Paredes Coronel (Tlaxcala, 1983), Mexican independent photographer and journalist, dedicated to documenting organizational processes in indigenous and peasant communities, searching for missing persons and environmental issues in Mexico. He currently explores formats such as documentaries and podcasts without abandoning photography and text, where he explores new narrative routes. He has collaborated with national and international media, has directed short documentaries and is currently in the development phase of a feature documentary as well as writing a book that brings together more than a decade of work on the Michoacan coast. He lives in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán. Twitter @BSaurus Instagram @el_beto_paredes.
In the general elections in Brazil on October 2 this year, there are two national projects competing at the polls, with no room for a third way.
On the one hand, the far right is betting on Jair Bolsonaro (PL), the current president and candidate for re-election. On the other, the leftist and former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), who is trying to return to power after 12 years.
In this electoral process, not only the presidency is at stake, but also the positions of governors, vice-governors and part of the National Congress. This year, 29,097 people ran for the positions of state deputy, federal deputy, senator and state governors.
These elections could determine the country's course in terms of human rights, gender freedom and the survival of Brazilian forests - such as the Amazon - which are currently being devastated by mining, logging and agribusiness; unbridled development pollutes water and air, as can be seen not only in rural areas but also in large cities such as Rio de Janeiro.
According to Dr. Celso Sánchez, biologist and professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro ‒UNIRIO‒ and director of GEAsur, the government of President Jair Bolsonaro has been characterized by carrying out unprecedented environmental devastation in Brazil, particularly in the Amazon, considered the lung of the world, as well as a "very violent advance of human rights violations."
According to Sánchez, these elections are therefore "absolutely important, since the continuity of life is at risk, not only in Brazil but in the entire world."
In response to political aggression and eco-genocide, as Sánchez calls the environmental devastation in Brazil, black communities called quilombolas, women, LGBTTTIQ+ people and indigenous peoples have organized not only to resist but also to re-exist through the creation of collectives, support networks and minority candidates, many of which are considered protesters, who will play an important role in these elections.
Brazilian photographers Bárbara Pelacani and Chico Brum photographed some of these candidates in Rio de Janeiro.
Candidates such as Tereza Arapium, an indigenous woman running for state deputy in Rio de Janeiro for the Rede Sustentabilidade (REDE) party, is presenting public policy proposals from someone who was born in the forest, was cured with traditional medicine, and is on a mission to defend the land and the people who inhabit it. Territory, body, and spirit are connected and are part of the life of indigenous peoples, who are the guardians of the forests, waters, and land. Her campaign advocates that this ancestral knowledge be exchanged with social groups in cities.
The devastation of the Amazon is also depriving indigenous peoples of their right to live. The Arapium campaign denounces the ongoing ecocide and genocide in Brazil and advocates the demarcation of indigenous territories.
These nominations "They are predominantly female and not only indigenous, the role that black women have today, of course because of the giant legacy of Marielle Franco and the seed that she represents of hope to speak in this home of political occupation, the importance that black indigenous women have, Afro indigenous or as we prefer to call Afropindoramic – because pindorama was the name given to the continent by our indigenous ancestors –", explains Sanchez.
«So this Afro-Pindoramic youth has a tremendous participation in management, they have organized the marches, the Margarita marches, the march of black women, the march of indigenous women and from there many artistic leaders have emerged», Sánchez tells Peninsula 360 Press.
Benedita da Silva, for example, is a black woman running for federal deputy in Rio de Janeiro for the Workers' Party (PT). She is the only black parliamentarian in the Assembly that created the 1988 Brazilian Constitution. Her struggle originated in the Favela Association of the State of Rio de Janeiro, where she was a volunteer and worked on literacy for young people and adults using the Paulo Freire method. Currently, Benedita da Silva is a federal deputy and is the author of a Bill (PL) that provides that political parties reserve minimum quotas for Afro-Brazilian candidates in elections to the Legislative Branch.
Benedita da Silva. Photo: Bàrabara Pelacani. Global Exchange / Peninsula 360 Press
Benedita da Silva has occupied the institutional political space for 40 years. Her history in public life goes hand in hand with the process of redemocratization in Brazil, opening the doors for other black women to dream and be part of partisan politics. Her candidacy is crossed by the current political moment of setbacks. As a reference to these dark times, the candidate tells us that the murder of Marielle Franco was a political milestone, where the extermination of lives becomes an institutionalized practice. Something that must be fought from political spaces so that Brazil can reestablish itself.
For the first time in Brazilian history, blacks will be the majority of candidates, 49.57 percent of the total. Whites, 48.86 percent in total. The survey conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) in 2019 shows that 54 percent of the population is black.
However, when we leave the general data and focus on the positions in dispute, we see that Brazilian parties concentrate the candidacies of blacks in the less important positions in the election.
For the majority posts, namely president, governor and senator, blacks represent only 35 percent of the candidates: there are 166 black or brown candidates, compared to 310 whites. Among the 13 candidates for president, only three are black: Leonardo Péricles (UP) and Vera Lúcia (PSTU), who declared themselves black, and Father Kelmon (PTB), who declared himself brown when he registered with the TSE.
Benedita da Silva is a reference for left-wing social movements, for women and for blacks. A woman who, at 80 years old, with great-grandchildren at home, gets up and launches another political campaign, because she believes that it is necessary to fight and maintain hope in a time of so many outrages.
The rise of black, female and indigenous candidates in Brazil is due to the support of specific laws and has been celebrated by public opinion.
Today, women represent 33 percent of candidates, while in 2018, they were 31 percent of contestants. There is still a long way to go, as women make up 52 percent of the Brazilian population, according to IBGE. But there has been progress in terms of representation since 2009, when, by virtue of Law No. 12,034, each legend must respect the minimum percentage of 30 percent and the maximum of 70 percent for the candidates of each gender.
Benny Briolly, a trans woman, is a candidate for state deputy in Rio de Janeiro for the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL).
Briolly is the first transgender woman elected in Niterói, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. She is a transvestite, a defender of black African religions and of the favela. She is a councilor in Niterói, forged in student activism, where she began to feel alive and hopeful. Her struggle arose from need, pain, loss, facing denials and lack of access to basic things.
Benny faces the challenges of a trans candidacy amid political violence, gender threats and threats against his religion. To face adversity, his main tool is the body, which occupies spaces and causes the repositioning of the limits of power relations.
Vote LGBT data shows the country will have 275 LGBT candidates, 0.9 percent of the total, with 113 cis women, 82 cis men, 43 trans women, 19 transvestites, 6 non-binary people, 5 trans men and 7 people who choose to define themselves in other ways.
Of these 275 LGBT candidates, 227 are concentrated in parties considered left-wing or progressive, with 95 in the PSOL, 60 in the PT, 28 in the PSB, 23 in the PDT and 11 in the PCdoB. Another 42 candidates will come from the centre and only six from the right, but none will be in the PL, the party of President Jair Bolsonaro, considered far-right.
Campaigns by indigenous people, black people, trans people, LGBTQIA+ people, rural workers, women in struggle that inaugurate counter-hegemonic processes in Rio de Janeiro and Brazil in 2022. The invisibility of these campaigns and of these social groups means the existence of rights that are not historically respected in the country.
For the position of federal deputy, women represent 34.5 percent of the total candidates. Men, 65.6 percent. When it comes to the Senate, the most important legislative chamber in the country, there is a disparity: only 22 percent of the candidates are women.
Mônica Francisco carries in her body, in the color of her skin, in her gender, in her territory and in her ancestry, the entire history of oppression and violence committed against black people, especially against women.
Originally from Borel, she was a worker, a domestic worker and, as an exception to the rule, she graduated in Social Sciences. She was a professor at ESPM, an advisor to Mariele Franco and today she is a State Representative.
Francisco believes that work and income are part of the path to deepen his struggles for human rights, feminism and against structural racism. Mônica knows that without the eradication of poverty there is no true democracy.
Francisco works for the promotion of gender equality, equity in health care for the black population and for respect for the LGBTQI+ community, for more black women in politics. She fights for a solidarity economy and many other agendas necessary for a more just Brazil.
Among the 10,564 candidates for federal deputies, blacks represent 48.25 percent, compared to 50.18 percent of whites. In the race for the state deputy position, the least important in Brazilian elections, there are 16,661 registered candidates, 56 percent of the total. Here, blacks are the majority, 51.97 percent.
Sol Miranda, candidate for federal deputy for the PSB in Rio de Janeiro, warns of the strong obstacles, within and outside the party structures, that prevent the rise of black candidates.
«The greatest difficulties that a black woman may face in the electoral process revolve around several barriers that lead us to political violence. This process does not have a single beginning, but regardless of the way it occurs, it is a warning that we are not safe, from offensive comments and messages on social media to death threats. This aspect of political violence is the most debated currently.»Miranda tells P360P.
Sun Miranda. Photo: Chico Brum. Global Exchange / Peninsula 360 Press
Miranda was born in the Cinco Bocas Favela in Rio de Janeiro. She has a degree in Literature. At the age of 23 she became a mother and today, like most young women in Brazil, she is able to balance her career and motherhood. Her vision is born from the desire to use her professional work to contribute to the distribution of opportunities, especially for the population least assisted by social policies.
Making politics is a poetic act for the women portrayed. As long as the excluded are not in political spaces, there will be no creation or implementation of public policies for them. These candidacies are the search for the end of structural racism of slavery, patriarchy, homophobia, elitism, agribusiness.
On October 2, Brazil is contesting more than just the country's presidency. It is contesting social freedoms and the political representation of the protesters. These candidates go against the capitalism of death, in the midst of a government that today disrespects the constitution, withdraws public policies of interest to the population and implements its process of extending neoliberalism with the institutionalization of death as a political tool.
The opposition candidates portrayed here are engaged in the exercise of putting pressure on the left-wing parties themselves with more diverse, broader and fairer agendas. They have in mind the class struggle, the impoverished and the scourged by the capitalist system, but they also act for blacks, indigenous people, the favelas, rural workers, the LGBTQIA+ population, people with disabilities, children, the elderly, women.
Through their campaigns, they criticise traditional ways of doing politics and highlight the commitment of women in politics. These women want to occupy political positions to challenge the superstructures of silence and denial, to reaffirm the memory of their social groups and to continue the struggle they have built.
This note was made with the support of the organization Global Exchange in collaboration with Peninsula 360 Press.
Photo: Manuel Ortiz Global Exchange – Peninsula 360 Press
The Global Exchange organization warns that rights and democracy are at risk in Brazil's upcoming elections, just days before Brazilians cast their votes in a first round to elect their next president, national congress, governors and state legislatures.
In a statement, the international human rights organization based in San Francisco, detailed that, during these elections that will take place this Sunday, October 2, in their first round, the country's democratic institutions are under real pressure.
He also noted that former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who served as the 35th President of the Federative Republic of Brazil between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2010, and who is running for a second term, is leading by wide margins in virtually all polls.
However, he said that the current president, Jair Bolsonaro, has openly rejected the legitimacy of any possible outcome other than his own re-election, mobilizing his supporters to do the same.
"Concerns that anti-democratic actions could trigger a return to military rule are widespread. So are concerns about unfair electoral practices and even physical threats, especially against black and indigenous candidates, social activists and academics who have spoken out against increasingly authoritarian practices," the statement said.
Global Exchange, in collaboration with this media outlet, conducted a journalistic and social investigation in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to learn first-hand about the socio-political conditions prior to the elections.
The investigation revealed that the government headed by Jair Bolsonaro is generating an anti-democratic narrative - including the use of hate speech and "fake news" on social media - which contributes to increasing tension and could encourage violent actions such as those that have already occurred in the context of these elections.
"This tension fueled by Jair Bolsonaro's rhetoric is generating fear among academics and candidates representing minorities, particularly black, indigenous and LGBTQIA+ people, who are considered a target by President Bolsonaro's most extreme supporters, many of them military, police or armed civilians," the organization said.
In response, Global Exchange has urgently called on the Brazilian government, the international press and other international organisations to monitor and protect the integrity of activists, academics and candidates, particularly those representing minorities such as indigenous peoples, Afro-Caribbeans, women and the groups that comprise them.
The organization said it will cover the elections in Brazil through a team of international and local journalists distributed in Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador de Bahia and the Amazon, and will produce reports and multimedia content in English and Spanish that media outlets interested in the material can publish on their platforms.
