Human Rights Watch (HRW) launched this Thursday (16), which brings together analyzes from 100 countries regarding the way in which adopted policies, internal conflicts over power and other contexts have caused setbacks in the protection of populations’ rights, in 2024.
There are more than 500 pages and, in the case of Brazil, some of the highlights are the floods in Rio Grande do Sul and the referrals to people identified as perpetrators of the violent acts of January 8, 2023.
For HRW, political violence and attacks on the press in the context of municipal elections, the abortion issue in the National Congress and police violence, especially in São Paulo, were equally notable.
In the pre-campaign period, 145 cases were identified, a much higher number than in 2020 (63 cases). From August 16th to October 6th, the date on which Brazilians went to the polls, Brazil recorded 373 episodes, according to a survey prepared by Terra de Direito e Justiça Global.
X suspension and Marielle case
Still in relation to Brazil, the report mentions the suspension of the social network Rio de Janeiro (TCE-RJ) Domingos Brazão for the murder of councilwoman Marielle Franco (PSOL-RJ) and driver Anderson Gomes.
The rates of gender violence were another point of concern. To recall just one of the data, the Brazilian Public Security Forum (FBSP) documented in its yearbook released in July this year that, in the country, there was, on average, one rape every six minutes in 2023. In total, they were notified 83,988 cases of rape and rape of vulnerable people, which corresponded to an increase of 6.5% compared to 2022. The total represented a record in the indicator.
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Resignation of Silvio Almeida
The report also did not forget the dismissal of the former Minister of Human Rights and Citizenship Silvio Almeida.
As the document states, Almeida fell after reports of sexual harassment sent to the Me Too platform and reported on the Metrópoles portal became public.
The suspicions that fell on the minister, which divided opinions, with one side defending his innocence and the other arguing that the words of the alleged victims should not be doubted, gained greater proportions with the reach of high-ranking officials.
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Rumors began to circulate that the Minister of Racial Equality, Anielle Franco, would be one of his victims. In early October, she gave a statement to authorities. The case caused scandal because of Silvio Almeida’s field of activity.
Conflicts in the field
The historic conflicts in the countryside faced in Brazil, a fundamental framework in the context of guaranteeing basic rights, as they permeate access to water and land, which ensure the livelihood of countless families, were also mentioned. In 2023, Brazil registered a record number of 2,203 conflicts of this nature, which affected the lives of 950,847 people. The data is compiled in an annual report by the Pastoral Land Commission (CPT).
In areas with high visibility today, such as the environment, the report repeats aspects such as the Brazilian government’s insistence on fossil fuels. As he states, the stance goes against the grain of other countries that understand that the abandonment of this type of source is essential to carry out the energy transition as soon as possible and advance in achieving goals agreed with the international community.
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Another point is the contribution of agriculture to the emission of greenhouse gases. Agência Brasil contacted the Ministries of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) and Environment and Climate Change and is awaiting feedback.
Refugee request
A policy rejected by HRW was, from August onwards, prohibiting people in transit without a visa from requesting asylum, requiring them to continue their journey to their final destination or return to their country of origin.
The Ministry of Justice and Public Security stated that “the guideline adopted in relation to passengers in transit, who arrive in Brazil without a visa and with tickets to other destinations, seeks to prevent passengers from being exposed to risks to their integrity and safety”.
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“This action has the main objective of avoiding situations of vulnerability or risk to human dignity, such as those frequently exploited by transnational criminal networks that promote migrant smuggling. To this end, the government has intensified its initiatives to combat such practices, through Federal Police operations to repress crime”, he added.
“It is important to highlight that Brazil continues to be a welcoming country and seeks to guarantee access to asylum requests for those who effectively seek international protection.”
Although there is criticism, HRW also praises some measures taken by the federal government and state administrations. “In June, the Federal Supreme Court decriminalized the possession of marijuana for personal use. In response, Congress considered a constitutional amendment to criminalize possession and possession. The drug law is often used as a justification for lethal police raids in communities”, he notes in the report.
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In 2024, Brazil reached the mark of 672 thousand patients, spread across 80% of the country’s municipalities, who are treated with medicinal cannabis, a record number and 56% higher than in 2023. The data appears in the yearbook produced by Kaya Mind. The segment generated R$ 853 million, a value that helps to measure its strength, as well as the potential for job creation, which could exceed the total of 320 thousand vacancies.
Assessments on the world stage
HRW’s analysis covers how the defense of human rights has been in more than 100 countries. The finding of Tirana Hassan, executive director of the entity, which appears in the report, is that acts of repression against opponents, activists and journalists still occur, including arrests.
The organization writes that last year, there were more than 70 national elections held in 2024, and in many of them, “authoritarian leaders gained ground with their discriminatory rhetoric and policies.”
(With Agência Brasil)
