Interview with Jurema Werneck: The resounding voice of the Ialodês on Black Consciousness Day

To celebrate Black Consciousness Day, symbolized in Brazil as the memory and death of the quilombola leader Zumbi dos Palmares, the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) is pleased to share an interview with Jurema Werneck, one of the main references of the black movement in the country. In addition to being the Director of Amnesty International in Brazil, Jurema is the founder of the NGO Criola. She has a Doctorate in Communication and Culture, as well as a Master’s degree in Production Engineering. Her professional career is proof that the intersectional perspective is essential to build plural knowledge, a diverse vision of the world and the society that constitutes it.

If November 20^th makes us relive a memory of the struggle for racial consciousness and black freedom, Jurema Werneck is the personification of the Ialodês, which as she describes in a publication [1], “Ialodê also refers to the representation of women, to the types of emblematic women, female political leaders of fundamental urban action (…) the one who speaks for all and participates in instances of power (…) who position themselves as political agents of change, and main holders of the conquered wealth.” We welcome the opportunity to present a summary of a rich conversation with Ialodê Jurema Werneck, who shared with us her perceptions of the struggle for human rights, police violence, femicide, black women, as well as her participation in the Covid CPI,[1] whose final report was delivered to the Brazilian Senate in October.

COVID-19 Pandemic

Race and Equality – Your participation in the Covid CPI reveals the consequences of denial and that, in the first year alone, 120 thousand lives could have been saved if we had followed world protocols and an effective public health policy. Could you tell us about the experience of participating in the Covid CPI process? Do you believe there will be consequences for the current government?

Jurema Werneck – The Covid CPI inquiry makes visible that everything done during the pandemic was done erroneously, it also demonstrates the type of people running the government. People who have no commitment to ethics, in fact their commitment is to take ownership of public affairs and profit from the country. I see that this ‘novela’ that developed into the Covid CPI, in a way, reminds us that there is a layer of interests, and that people are feeling the impact of all of this. And with that, the government’s approval plummets, because it’s a fact, there’s no government, it’s misgovernment.

Participating in the CPI was a collective effort. I was the spokesperson for several organizations including Amnesty International. We agreed that I would be the spokesperson. My work was to prepare and present the research that was commissioned even before the CPI, which was carried out by researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the University of São Paulo (USP). It was a survey presented to the Federal Government, and we believed the CPI was our opportunity. This also helped legitimize a perception that everything could have been different. Moreover, our work looks to demonstrate that even without a vaccine [2] lives could have been saved if basic public health was addressed. Other than that, personally, it was a practice of everyday activism, I went there to do what I wanted to do, so I found it to be a privilege.

And now, with more than 600,000 lives lost and a scenario where there is finally a vaccine to combat the pandemic, the government deniers still remain in power. How do we confront the pandemic in the coming years?

Jurema Werneck – We call him a negationist, but he is not a negationist. He has an alliance with strategies of death and destruction. There is a political project, it is an actively defined trajectory. It is not only a refusal, but also participating in an extremely dangerous movement that is opposite to life.

Brazil remains under permanent torture. He is a torturer who inflicts pain, either from the poor management of the pandemic or from any other chapter of his “administration.” Where do we go from here? We have to remember that it was not only him, but the pandemic also has a responsibility at the state and municipal level. Amnesty launched a campaign last year aimed at governors and mayors, including municipalities on behalf of indigenous and quilombola rights. The operation of the system demonstrates a joint responsibility, it’s not only the responsibility of legislation. So, in other words, the range of people involved in the 600,000 deaths is not a simple task.

I see that this also has a repercussion in society and in a way in all of us. 600,000 deaths represents a great deal of tragedy and behind these deaths there is a huge contingent of mourners, including orphans, the sequels of COVID-19. The legacy it has is outside of ethics, politics and public health, with the further deepening of social inequalities. It was black women who paid the highest price and who died the most from COVID-19 in the beginning. In other words, the number of challenges and sequels that we have to face is very large.

Police Violence

Race and Equality – Recently, Michelle Bachelet, UN Commissioner for Human Rights, denounced in her report on police violence and systemic racism the dimensions police brutality operates in the lives of black people, she cited the cases of Luana Barbosa and João Pedro in Brazil. From an intersectional perspective, black LGBTI+ people, especially transgender people in prison, are among the victims of acts of racism and LGBTIphobia. How can we resist racism and LGBTIphobia in a society that considers black bodies killable and disposable?

Jurema Werneck – The first way for us to act on this theme is to recognize and highlight the urgency, because they are cases of life and death. They are killing people. People are dying physically and existentially. Today the situation is so bad that I am celebrating the small victories of discursive achievements. Since Amnesty International began working on police lethality and the death of young black people, we have been engaging with the UN High Commissioner on the issue. It’s good to see Michelle Bachelet talk about the issue at hand, because it was her duty, but it’s still a small victory. Unfortunately, this won’t save Luana’s life because she’s already dead, the situation is extremely severe with death as our indicator— it’s murder. Our condition is grave and dire, and the point of departure is already the bloodiest tip of the iceberg.

The black movement has been working on this for a long time. In 1978, the murder of a young black man inspired a group of representatives of federations of various organizations to congregate at the stairs of the Municipal Theater in São Paulo, creating the Unified Movement against Police Violence, which later came to be known as the Unified Black Movement (MNU). However, we went from 1978 until very recently discussing amongst ourselves. It had no United Nations, no white organization and no human rights organizations. There was no national law addressing race, it was only in the United States. Sueli Carneiro, Lélia Gonzalez and Amauri Mendes, among others were at that time trying to hegemonize the struggle. What I’m saying is that we have small victories, but they’re not enough. What we want is to save lives right now, because people are dying. And that’s not enough, and that’s our anguish. The political transformation process is time-consuming, it does not save all the lives it needs to.

We can’t account for how much of Bachelet’s speech influences saving lives, but it ends up in some way influencing, not just because it pulls the brakes on certain hands, or fingers on the trigger, it is the United Nations after all. On the other hand, there are others who ignore figures like Bachelet, because the president said something else, and they will listen to the president. If we have the president on one side and Bachelet on the other, we are trying to create strategy. We are trying to tie the game to give us space to keep fighting. As an activist, I don’t see a way out that isn’t a struggle. We know where we want to go, and how to save people’s lives. How long will it take? We know it’s not a linear trajectory. What tools are needed? All. Change can only be made with struggle.

Femicide and Black Women

Race and Equality – The ‘Atlas of Violence 2021’ confirmed the unfortunate statistic that black women are the most targeted victims of violence in Brazil: 66% of women murdered, showing that in 11 years, the homicide of this population increased by 2%, while the murder of non-black women dropped 27% in the same period (3). Could you comment on this racist violence that makes black women the biggest victims of femicide.

Jurema Werneck – In racist regimes, black men and women will be the biggest victims of violence. Whatever the classification of violence, we will be the biggest victims along with the indigenous people and the gypsies. It’s inescapable and that’s why we want to end racism. We managed to influence the government and UN Women to create statistics and demonstrate what we already knew; we are the most targeted victims. The complexity of this phenomenon means remembering that racism is patriarchal and cis-heteronormative, as the NGO Criola says. In this core of intersectionality, we can identify the victims; they are black trans women and black cis women. It is worth remembering that trans women are not in this femicide statistic and, even so, we know that victimization among them is even greater than among cis women. It is important to emphasize that we are also victims of police led homicides outside of gender relations.

What I’m trying to say is, take a death stat and you’ll find the black woman there. In recent years we have been the ones who have hegemonized this discourse. However, there is still a lot of progress to be made, even more so now that everything has been dismantled. In the debate for the creation of the Maria da Penha Law. We already said that a mechanism had to be put in place to confront racism, because black women were the biggest victims. Brazil still celebrates this law to this day, but those people who built and hegemonized the Maria da Penha Law excluded and refused to put in place mechanisms to protect the lives of black women. These are the people who say we have to go to the police, but since when is the police an ally of a black woman or any black person? It is necessary to face racism and denounce it wherever you are. The Maria da Penha Law works for white women because it was built for them. We need to find another mechanism or reform this one to work.

Amidst the struggles and challenges of the Brazilian black population shared by Jurema Werneck in this interview, Race and Equality reaffirms the importance of the anti-racist perspective in confronting the violence and oppression that systematically dehumanize and erase black people. It is through the commitment to an anti-racist and feminist agenda, and confronting neoliberal policies that undermine rights, that we envision a horizon of collective responsibility and a future in which human rights are, in fact, a possible language of respect for all the ways of being and existing. Thus, we recommend to the Brazilian State:

1 – Implement reparation policies for the victims of COVID- 19 and their families, whether orphans, those bereaved, and the long-term sequelae due to the virus;

2 – Produce intersectional indicators on police brutality against black women;

3 – Implement the Inter-American Convention against Racism as a legal instrument to change and create laws to combat racism;

[1] Text “De Ialodês e Feministas: Reflexões sobre a ação política de mulheres negras na América Latina e no Caribe”

[2] At the time of the CPI research and its presentation, there was still no vaccine for COVID-19

[3] https://www.uol.com.br/universa/noticias/redacao/2021/08/31/atlas-da-violencia-2021.htm

[Note] The COVID-19 CPI, also known as Pandemic CPI, Coronavirus CPI, or simply COVID CPI, is a parliamentary commission of inquiry undergoing in Brazil, with the goal to investigate alleged omissions and irregularities in federal government spending during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil

Cuba: IACHR Grants Precautionary Measures to Independent Journalist Héctor Valdés Cocho and Human Rights Defender Raúl Soublett López

Washington D.C., December 3, 2021. – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has granted precautionary measures to independent journalist Héctor Valdés Cocho and his partner Raúl Soublett López, LGBTI+ rights and human rights defender, in response to a request from the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality). Based on the documentation presented by Race and Equality, the Commission determined that both are in a situation of serious and urgent risk of irreparable harm to their rights in Cuba.

The IACHR requests that the Cuban government abide by Resolution 100/2021 and adopt the necessary measures to protect the rights to life and personal integrity of the beneficiaries and allow them to carry out their activities without threats of violence, intimidation, and harassment. Furthermore, it requests that the Government agree upon the measures to be adopted with the beneficiaries and their representatives, and report – within 15 days – on the steps taken to investigate the alleged facts which led to the adoption of these precautionary measures in order to avoid their repetition.

Alleged Facts

The information presented by Race and Equality to the IACHR recounts the constant rights violations experienced by the beneficiaries in past few years, which include police barricade of their home, interrogations, threats and detentions in the framework of their activities as journalist and human rights defender, respectively. In both cases, the rights violations come just as frequently from authority figures as they do from anonymous individuals through social media.

As of this past October, Valdés Cocho has been arrested eight times. During one of those arrests, which occurred while he was returning home on October 30^th, he was intercepted by State Security agents who then took him to Villa Marista and forced him to undress on the grounds of conducting a search. He stayed there that night and was interrogated two times. Later, on November 12^th, he was a target of repudiation, and on November 15^th – a day which civil society marked as the Civil March for Change – State Security agents were assigned to watch his house and prevent him and his partner from leaving.

In Soublett López’s case, the information indicates that he has been the victim of harassment by State Security since 2018, when agents began confronting and threatening him regarding his activism by saying that his activity could affect his work and his studies and that he could be jailed. At the start of his relationship with Valdés Cocho in October 2020, the threats intensified and he has since been interrogated on various occasions. One of the interrogations occurred on the 18^th of June at the Municipal Directorate of Education, where he was intimidated and threatened with prosecution for his activism against racism, and on LBGTI+ issues and gender-based violence.

“It is really important for us that the IACHR, following the request from Race and Equality, has granted precautionary measures, since it is a protection against harassment, all the violence which the State has exercised against us for our activism to promote and defend human rights and professions”, said the beneficiaries.

Discrimination and Censure

In its analysis of elements which constitute serious, urgent, and irreparable harm to rights, the IACHR notes the hostile and censorious environment in which independent journalists work on the Island. Journalists encounter various forms of repression, such as the requirement of official membership to practice journalism; threats, citations, and interrogations with the intent to intimidate; arbitrary detentions; raids and seizure of journalistic equipment or other property; dismissals and loss of authorizations to practice their profession or other economic activities; threats and pressure to family members, social circles, and defamation; and impeding travel and other arbitrary restrictions regarding the right to free movement.

The Commission also highlights the particular form of violence, discrimination and restrictions regarding the rights to gather, association, and freedom of expression which members of the LGBTI+ community and human rights defenders whose work relates to sexual orientation and gender identification suffer. “The Commission, in particular, observes that the intersection between discrimination for reasons of ethnic-racial origin, diverse sexual orientation, and gender identity would disproportionately affect the Afro-Cuban LGBTI community,” it said.

Race and Equality urges the Cuban State to adopt the precautionary measures granted by the IACHR in favor of Héctor Valdés Cocho and Raúl Soublett López, and to allow them and all independent journalists and human rights defenders to pursue their work without the threat of discrimination, violence, and detentions, in accordance with their international obligations concerning human rights.

Joint statement: States must support new UN body to counter anti-Black racism by ensuring the nomination of strong and independent experts

November 29, 2021.– After years of standstill, the UN General Assembly has finally adopted a resolution in August 2021 creating a long-awaited new body to inform UN and state efforts to combat anti-Black racism: the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.

While a number of other UN bodies and mechanisms have been established to combat racism and racial discrimination, this Forum is unique as it has been designed as a space for people of African descent and for anti-Black racism activists themselves to participate in policy discussions, in an open Forum where rights-holders from all continents can sit alongside UN and state representatives, share their experiences, analysis and recommendations, and have their voices heard.

Minority Rights Group International (MRG), the International Movement against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) and the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) warmly welcome the creation of the new Permanent Forum as a potential milestone in the growing mobilization against the worldwide scourge of anti-Black racism, violence and discrimination.

However, such a Forum can only be as strong and effective if UN member states will allow it to be. The work of the Forum will be led by a group of 10 experts, half of whom will be elected by the UN General Assembly among a pool of candidates nominated by UN member states^[1]. It is therefore now the responsibility of states, individually and collectively, to ensure that the work of the Forum will be steered by strong and independent experts with the ability and will to make this Forum both an open and inclusive space, and an effective and impactful body for the fight against anti-Black racism.

Recalling the paragraph 2 of the resolution, our organizations call on UN member states from all regions to engage actively in the process of setting-up of this new Forum by nominating strong and independent candidates, able to command the respect of those affected by this issue, with relevant expertise and experience, a proven commitment to the fight for equality and a proven track record in defending human rights for all and in fighting racial discrimination. States should identify their nominees in consultation with those for whom this Forum has been created, namely organizations representing people of African descent and anti-racial discrimination movements and activists. It is our view that the Forum will be best served by being led by experts who are fully independent of their nominating state.

The unanimous adoption of the resolution creating the Forum earlier this year was a decisive first step in the right direction. States must now demonstrate their commitment to making this Forum an effective body by promoting competitive elections and merit-based nomination procedures.

Contact persons:

Glenn Payot, Minority Rights Group International – glenn.payot@minorityrights.org
Taisuke Komatsu, the International Movement against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) –tkomatsu@imadr.org
Tania Agosti, the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) – agosti@oldrace.wp

^[1] The other half will be appointed by the President of the UN Human Rights Council, after consultation with states, and “on the basis of broad consultations with organizations of people of African descent” (Resolution A/75/L.119/Rev.1, para. 2)

Salgueiro Massacre – Brazilian black population calls for help!: Race and Equality condemns genocide against the black population and calls to guarantee the life of black people

Brazil, November 25th 2021 – On the basis of the International Declaration of Human Rights, according to which life is an inalienable right, Race and Equality urges the international community to pay attention to police violence taking place in Brazil. We denounce yet another massacre taking place during the global pandemic, in the city of São Gonçalo, in Rio de Janeiro. It is important to mention that the black movement considers that violence resulting from structural racism in Brazil must be seen as genocide against the black population. In fact, when analyzing the situation of the Brazilian black population in its country report, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) mentions that there appears to be a process of “social cleansing, aimed at exterminating sectors considered “undesirable””, which happens with state support. [1]

A year ago, and on the eve of Black Consciousness Day, João Alberto was brutally murdered by property security agents in Carrefour market [2]. In 2021, the trend of violence against black and poor bodies is repeated a day after the same date that calls out to society for a conscience about black struggle and freedom. If the State ignores the anti-racism agenda made in favor of its people, how will we build a black history that does not include pain, suffering and violence? The result of this policy of fear and terror is yet another bloody killing: the Salgueiro Massacre.

On Monday, November 22, residents of the favela complex located in São Gonçalo, metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, woke up recovering bodies in the community’s mangrove swamps. So far, nine bodies have been found (residents say 20) [3], both men and women, and even an elderly woman who was shot in the arm. In addition, residents denounce that many innocent victims lost their lives in retaliation for the death of a police officer. The reports of this massacre are from mothers who had to remove the bodies of their family sunk in the mangrove swamp. No weapons were found among the bodies [4]. Orphaned families from yet another tragedy that could have been avoided if the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro had not acted through revenge. Thus, we asked Governor Claudio Castro – who authorized the police operation?

We continue to denounce the State’s complete disregard of complying with the restrictions placed by the Supreme Court on police operations in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro during the pandemic, known as the ‘ADPF das Favelas’ throughout 2021. Institutional racism and police brutality continue to be the State’s daily exchange of life and death towards the black population. Tragedies are enumerated in black bodies this year; 21 dead in the Jacarezinho Massacre in May; 14 dead in the Salgueiro Massacre in November. Bullets, which are considered “lost” by the police, were found in a dead pregnant woman, Katheleen Romeo back in June.

Furthermore, data from the Rede de Observatório da Segurança (Security Observatory Network) serves to confirm the lethality of police intervention in Rio de Janeiro: In 2021, 71% of the killings in Rio de Janeiro were carried out by state agents, totaling in 128 deaths. A survey by the Instituto de Segurança Pública (Public Security Institute) corroborates this – from January to July, 811 people died in police actions, a 38% of total homicides and an increase of 88.2% over the same period last year. This figure represents the highest percentage in the last 15 years. [5].

Considering the facts, Race and Equality refers to the Inter-American Convention against Racism and Related Forms of Intolerance and calls the attention of all protection mechanisms under international law that have pledged to cooperate to prevent and punish acts of killings of vulnerable populations around the world. We urge that international law treaties be enforced in the face of the extermination policies of the Military Police and the acceptance of violence by Brazilian governments. The Brazilian black population asks for help, because, to ask for peace, it is first necessary to have the right to live.

Finally, we urge the Brazilian State to make the following recommendations:

1 – Urge the local government of the state of Rio de Janeiro so that those responsible for the Salgueiro Massacre do not go unpunished.

2 – The creation of laws and mechanisms with an intersectional and anti-racist focus to curb and punish violent police actions in favelas.

3 – The veto of the anti-terrorism bill, already approved by the Chamber and which is going to be approved by the Senate, whose proposal approves the exclusion of illegality for police officers during their operations and creates the secret police for the President.

4 – The construction of an educational anti-racism agenda for the military police and all national public security agents.

[1] http://www.oas.org/en/cidh/relatorios/pdfs/Brasil2021-en.pdf

[2] https://www.poder360.com.br/brasil/saiba-quem-era-joao-alberto-espancado-ate-a-morte-no-supermercado-carrefour/

[3] Official data not yet released

[4]https://extra.globo.com/casos-de-policia/resgatamos-os-corpos-nao-achamos-nenhuma-arma-fizeram-uma-chacina-diz-morador-do-complexo-do-salgueiro-25286728. html

[5]https://g1.globo.com/rj/rio-de-janeiro/noticia/2021/09/03/no-rj-38percent-dos-homicidios-foram-cometidos-por-policiais-em-7-meses- e-proporcao-bate-recorde.ghtml

Race and Equality Releases Report About Women Political Prisoners in Cuba and Calls on the State to Cease Persecution and Criminalization of Human Rights Defenders

Washington D.C., November 24, 2021.– On November 18^th, the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) released a report entitled “Voices in Resistance: Women Political Prisoners in Cuba.” The report documents the experience of women who are or have been political prisoners in Cuba and the impact their criminal sentences and other acts of oppression have had on their lives. Furthermore, the report contains recommendations to the Cuban State as well as the international community oriented towards changing the situation of persecution and criminalization which women activists and human rights defenders face on the Island.

The event to launch the report was attended by the Rapporteur for Cuba from the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR), Commissioner Stuardo Ralón, as well as women ex-political prisoners, who suggested policies and shared their experiences from different perspectives. Caitlin Kelly, Latin America Legal Program Officer at Race and Equality and author of the report, presented the report’s main findings; and Christina Fetterhoff, Director of Programs at Race and Equality, gave a welcome statement in which she highlighted the relevance of this event in the context of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which is commemorated every 25^th of November.

“Women human rights defenders in Cuba suffer structural violence every day in a very particular way. They have to endure the dual burden of paid and unpaid work, which is common for women in any part of the world, but Cuban women activists are also subjected to harassment, threats, acts of repudiation, interrogations, and arbitrary detentions, among others, which many times include physical as well as emotional violence. The consequences of this violence are felt by the activists’ families and their communities. And in the cases in which women become political prisoners, the impact of the structural violence becomes much worse,” she said.

The Report

Caitlin Kelly, Latin American Legal Program Officer at Race and Equality, explained that apart from the “dual burden” which the Cuban women carry within the context of political control and shortage of food and medicine, the key factors that inspired this report are that Cuba does not have a law to protect women from gender-based violence and the lack of information on women political prisoners in the international community.

The report includes the cases of 12 women activists who were convicted for different crimes after expressing opinions in opposition to the government. The majority of them spent six months or more in a penal institution in Cuba, while others served their sentences under house arrest. The information was collected through interviews which were done directly with the women or with the families of those imprisoned.

“The interviews with the political prisoners confirm that the prisons in Cuba are inhumane and do not provide the basic provisions needed to survive. The women were in dirty cells, filled with rats and insects and, in some cases, even human waste. They were left hungry and isolated from their families and from other prisoners. Some suffered violence from inmates or guards. None received adequate medical treatment, which resulted in serious illness,” the report said.

Testimonies

The Lady in White (Dama de Blanco) and former political prisoner, Jacqueline Heredia, is one of the protagonists of the report. She was detained in April 2016 and, after spending more than a year in prison (May 2017), was sentenced to three years in prison for the crimes of “contempt” and “assault of an authority.” In August 2017 they granted her leave for serious health complications. Today, the activist faces the risk of returning to prison, as both she and her husband, Carlos Alberto Álvarez, are being accused of the crime of “assault of an authority”.

Jacqueline’s husband has been detained for six months in Prison 1580, in San Miguel del Padrón, La Habana. “They detained him for [the non-payment of] a few arbitrary fines that they gave us both, and now they accuse us of assault, and are asking for four years in prison for him and three for me. They say that we committed this assault in 2019, on the 8^th of September, the day of the Sunflower March, which we participated in peacefully. He is awaiting trial in prison, and I at home,” she said through a video shared at the event.

Yamilka Abascal, who is a member of the Cuban Youth Roundtable (Mesa de Diálogo de la Juventud Cubana) and other organizations that promote human rights and democracy on the Island, was sentenced in 2017 to two years of house arrest. Yamilka was accused of “contempt” when she and her husband – the activist José Rolando Casares – were on their way to Havana to participate in an international press conference to present a civil campaign of the Roundtable.

Yamilka was eight months pregnant when she was convicted. She participated in the event over the phone and explained how the constant harassment by police she experienced during her house arrest has psychologically affected her and her children. Although she has already served her sentence, the young woman is still followed and harassed by Cuban authorities and supporters of the government.

Lisandra Rivera is part of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) and because of her activism has been harassed, threatened, and physically attacked in recent years. In June 2014, she lost her four-month pregnancy due to a beating by State Security agents and the National Revolutionary Police. “In 2016, I was detained because I came out in defense of some self-employed people who were being attacked and at the end of 2016 I was tried and taken to prison for the crime of assault”, she said in a video which was shared at the event.

Rivera was sentenced to two years in prison. She spent the first 11 months in the Santiago de Cuba prison during which time she was not allowed visitors and was denied the right to make phone calls. Later she was transferred to the Kilo 5 Prison in Camagüey, where on five occasions she was placed in solitary confinement, once for a period of three months and ten days. Furthermore, Lisandra suffered due to the terrible hygiene and food conditions of the prison.

The work of the IACHR

In his speech, the IACHR Rapporteur for Cuba stressed that civil society in Cuba reports “a systematic pattern to persecute peaceful demonstrators, political opponents, and activists,” which has worsened as a result of the July 11 protests and the demonstration announced by independent civil society for November 15^th. The November 15^th protest could not be carried out due to the strong repression of the government. “And this continues through harassment, arbitrary detentions and trials that do not observe the minimum guarantees of the legal process,” he said.

Commissioner Ralón, in the name of the IACHR, called upon the international community to demand that the State immediately end the persecution and arrests of dissenting or opposition voices and release those imprisoned. He also emphasized that the Commission is very motivated to continue the work of monitoring “because there is full conviction that in order for full respect for human rights to exist, the principal liberties for which these voices clamor must be guaranteed.”

At Race and Equality, we continue to follow the human rights situation in Cuba, including the persecution and criminalization which women activists and human rights defenders confront. With this report we hope to contribute to change this reality, demanding that the Cuban State abides by its international human rights obligations and sharing with civil society and the international community some of the voices in resistance.

Trans Day of Remembrance: An urgent call to combat transphobia in Latin America

Washington D.C., November 20, 2021. As we commemorate another year of International Transgender Day of Remembrance, the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) wishes to draw the attention of States and the international community to the chilling numbers of murders of transgender people in the Americas – a reality that unfortunately places the region once more at the top of the list of most homicides worldwide. At the same time, Race and Equality wants to urge governments to prioritize issues of violence and discrimination against gender-diverse people and to adopt swift actions to combat transphobia.

On November 11, TGEU’s Transrespect versus Transphobia Worldwide (TvT) research project published its annual Trans Murder Monitoring (TMM) report, released every year on the eve of November 20, International Transgender Day of Remembrance. According to the data, between October 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021 there were 375 murders of trans people worldwide, of which 311 occurred between Mexico, Central and South America. Globally, the total represents a 7% increase from the previous report (October 2019 – September 2020).

Transphobic tragedy

In Latin America, Brazil continues to be the country with the highest number of murders against transgender people, followed by Mexico (65), Honduras (53) and Colombia (25)*. Regarding global figures, the TMM report highlights that 96% of the murdered persons were transgender women or transgender feminine persons, and 58% were transgender sex workers. This is a pattern that has been corroborated in the region by reports published by LGBTI+ organizations.

“The data indicates a worrying trend regarding the intersections between misogyny, racism, xenophobia and hatred towards sex workers, with the majority of victims being black and colored transgender women, migrants and sex workers,” warns TMM, which also alerts that these numbers are only a small sample of the reality, since many murders remain unreported, or are misidentified.

Lives taken away

Brazil, which represents 41% of the global murders against transgender people, also commemorates on this day the National Day of Black Consciousness. Therefore, November 20 represents a date among human rights organizations in the country – especially those working in the defense of the trans population and the black population – to honor both populations and coincides in the intersection of their vulnerabilities in the midst of a transphobic and racist society.

Brazil began 2021 with the brutal murder of a transgender teenager. In the early morning of January 4, Keron Ravach was stabbed and beaten to death by a 17-year-old who was identified and arrested as the perpetrator of the hate crime. The young woman, who was going through a gender transition process, was defined by her friends as a shy person, but who at the same time dreamed of being a social media influencer. According to the TMM report, the average age of trans people murdered in the last year is 30 years old, with Keron being the youngest of all victims, at just 13 years old.

Indolence and Impunity

In most cases of murdered transgender persons there is a history of violence and threats, but these are often ignored by the authorities or are not dealt with in a timely manner. As such, when the murder occurs, there is insufficient information to identify the person or persons responsible. This issue has been expressed by organizations who promote and defend the rights of the LGBTI+ population and was manifested in the murder of Gina Rodríguez Sinuiri on September 21, in Callao, Peru.

Gina, 28, was stabbed several times in a hotel room in the city. Although immediately taken to a hospital, she was pronounced dead 18 hours later. The suspect is a man who regularly solicited the services of transgender sex workers and contacted them through his social networks using different names. According to her companions, it was not the first time the man contacted Gina. In addition, Agencia Presentes, which is in charge of making visible the situation of the LGBTI+ population in Latin America and the Caribbean-collected statements from Gina’s partners, in which they pointed out that on several occasions they have approached the Peruvian National Police to report acts of violence against them but are always ignored.

On top of the authorities’ lack of action there is the fact that Peru does not have a Gender Identity Law, which means that transgender people cannot carry out procedures with their social name, and this exposes them to discrimination and mockery in various sectors of society. “We denounce to the authorities and the police, but they do not pay attention to us, and that is what makes us frustrated and angry. We have families, we are human beings with feelings. Every time we file a complaint, when we turn around, they put it away. The worst thing is that they laugh and throw us out,” said a colleague of Gina on that occasion.

Dying in Invisibility

Although the murders of transgender people are generally silenced, when addressing this issue reference is usually made only to transgender women, because statistics show that they are the main victims, which is undoubtedly a reality. However, transgender men are also the focus of violence and discrimination due to transphobia and, as in the case of trans women, this can become deadly for them. One such example is the case of Samuel Edmund Damian Valentin, a young transgender man who was shot and killed on January 9 in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico.

Samuel Edmund was a student at Atlantic University College, in Guaynabo. On January 1 he had written on his Facebook page, “a new year to come, grateful for all the experiences that [taught me] how strong we really are, to life, to good and evil and for all the justice that is to come.”

“About transgender men and invisibilization in the public sphere, the truth is that it is the violence we suffer the most. Everyday life is designed for cis-gender men; we cannot be guaranteed public health issues in a dignified and efficient way for us. It is important that our identities are named, that trans men or transmasculine people get pregnant. What is not named does not exist. If we exist in the spaces, let us exist in the word”, says Danilo Donato, transmasculine activist and member of the GAAT Foundation in Colombia. According to the record of this organization on death of trans people, so far this year 2021 in the country 32 have been killed to date, while 8 have died from complications arising from surgeries and handmade interventions and barriers to access to rights.

Hate at its maximum expression

Kendra Contreras, known as “Lala”, was a 22-year-old transgender woman who lived in the town of Somotillo, in western Nicaragua. Those who knew Lala say that she was a young dreamer, hard-working, with a desire to better herself and who wanted her gender identity to be respected. Sadly, on March 3, 2021, two men ended her life in an atrocious way; they tied her to a horse and let it drag her twice for at least 400 meters and then stoned her. This is the ultimate expression of hatred towards women, bodies and diverse identities in a highly macho society, such as the Nicaraguan one.

Unfortunately, that was not the only time they killed Lala, as they do it every time they disrespect her gender identity and call her by her “first name” when they refer to her as “man” in news reports. Many media outlets fail to properly handle these cases by focusing on information and prejudices that generate morbidity and revictimize the victims of transphobia and gender violence.

Urgent appeal

Every year, Race and Equality takes advantage of this date to remind countries of their obligation to respect and guarantee the rights of all people without any kind of discrimination. Regarding the situation of violence and murders against trans people, we make the following recommendations:

Monitor and publicly sanction transphobic speeches that often slip into the media and incur in calls for discrimination and violence against the trans population.
Adopt the necessary laws and policies to guarantee the recognition, respect and inclusion of people with diverse sexual orientation and gender identity.
Establish special mechanisms to respond to acts of violence and murders against LGBI and trans persons, which lead to the clarification of the facts and the punishment of those responsible, as well as the establishment of guarantees of non-repetition.
Collect data on acts of violence and murders against trans persons, disaggregated by specific gender identity and ethnic-racial identity.
Promote through the institutions and official channels a campaign to educate and sensitize the population on sexual orientation and gender identity, with a view to generating a context of recognition and respect for the integrity and life of LGBI and trans persons.

*In the case of Colombia, the Foundation Grupo de Acción y Apoyo a Personas con Experiencia de Vida Trans (GAAT) recorded 32 murders of transgender people so far in 2021.

Race and Equality recognizes and appreciates the role of Antonia Urrejola in promoting human rights in the region

Washington, D.C., November 12, 2021. – The Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) joins in the expressions of recognition and gratitude to the President of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Antonia Urrejola, for her outstanding and committed work for the promotion and protection of human rights in Latin America and the Caribbean. We especially recognize the key role she played in monitoring and making visible the grave human rights situation in Nicaragua since April 2018, as well as pushing for the adoption of measures to address the crisis.

This Friday, November 12, 2021, the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) elected representatives of its organs, agencies, and entities, including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. In this process, Urrejola presented her candidacy for reelection as Commissioner of the IACHR on September 22, a role she has held since January 1, 2018 — after being elected in June 2017 — which ends on December 31.

Within the IACHR, Urrejola is currently the Rapporteur for Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, and Nicaragua, as well as the Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Rapporteur on Memory, Truth and Justice. In addition, on March 15, she was elected internally to the IACHR as its President, along with Julissa Mantilla and Flávia Piovesan as its first and second Vice President. Notably, it is the first time in history that this body’s board was composed entirely of women.

In 2018, Urrejola was also the Rapporteur for Brazil, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Cuba. In the case of the latter country, her Rapporteurship was instrumental in monitoring and making visible the human rights situation on the island. As the Rapporteur for Colombia and on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, she has closely observed the problems faced by this population in the country, mainly because of their territories being intruded upon by illegal armed groups and the lack of implementation of the Ethnic Chapter of the Peace Agreement.

In this Friday’s vote, held in the framework of the 51^st OAS General Assembly, most of the country representatives voted for Joel Hernández García, of Mexico (27 votes), Carlos Bernal P, of Colombia (21 votes), and Roberta Clark, of Barbados (23 votes) as new members of the IACHR, thereby not reelecting Urrejola.

A friend of Nicaragua

Since the socio-political and human rights crisis broke out in Nicaragua, Antonia Urrejola’s voice has been particularly tireless in two ways. On the one hand, the Chilean lawyer and specialist in Transitional Justice has kept the critical situation in the country visible, and on the other, she has been a close figure of consolation and hope for the relatives of political prisoners, exiles, and those who have been tragically murdered. Her forthcoming departure from the IACHR causes a shock within civil society and human rights organizations in the country.

Likewise, international human rights organizations, such as Race and Equality, are particularly shaken by the news. Urrejola has been a key ally in the process of monitoring the crisis in Nicaragua and influencing the Inter-American System for the Defense and Protection of Human Rights in the country. Race and Equality counts on her committed participation in international events, campaigns, and thematic hearings.

When referring to the situation in Nicaragua, Urrejola has been insistent in stating that impunity and injustice will not perpetuate in the country. Today we return to the words she provided Race and Equality with during an interview conducted on the third anniversary of the crisis in Nicaragua: “Efforts in international human rights law usually do not have immediate effects, but it is also true that history shows that these are efforts that ultimately produce results.”

With this hope as well as the commitment to continue the work of defense and protection of human rights in Nicaragua, Race and Equality extends our sincere recognition and gratitude to Antonia Urrejola, and expresses our desire to continue to work hand in hand in the promotion of fundamental rights in the region.

Let us not forget Nicaragua!

This Sunday, November 7, 2021, Daniel Ortega Saavedra will secure a fourth consecutive term as president of Nicaragua in an electoral process “tailor-made” and give him and his wife, Vice-President Rosario Murillo, another five years in power. Now, more than ever, the international community must not forget about the people of Nicaragua and must reject the validity of a government being imposed onto the Nicaraguan people, without any minimum safeguards to consider it “democratically elected”.

Nicaragua’s democracy began its progressive deterioration many years ago, with the pact between former President Arnoldo Alemán and Daniel Ortega. The social unrest in April 2018 and the repressive response by state authorities and paramilitary forces – which escalated to lethal levels – caused a deterioration of the rule of law where the Executive co-opted all other state powers and institutions. Subsequently, the crisis deepened further as a consequence of the closing of spaces of participation and dialogue, censorship and the increasing violations of citizens’ human rights in the electoral context. With Sunday’s elections, Nicaraguan democracy will finally erode.

November 7 will be a somber day for the people of Nicaragua, who have been in mourning for more than three years and longed for free elections to begin a process of democratic transition and guarantees for truth and justice without impunity, full reparation and non-repetition. Unfortunately, there are no signs of a swift improvement to the situation in the country. Everything points to the fact that a government which systematically violates human rights will continue in power.

Therefore, it is time to dispell any remaining suggestion that Sunday’s voting represents anything but Ortega and Murillo’s Democratic facade. It is urgent that the international community, multilateral organizations and international human rights organizations use all the resources at their disposal to prevent human rights violations to continue, particularly against people who are identified as opponents of the regime.

To contribute to this point, Race and Equality shares the following update on the grave human rights situation in Nicaragua.

Political prisoners – According to the most recent report of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), since the beginning of the socio-political crisis in 2018 more than 1,614 people have been arbitrarily deprived of their liberty and 149 people remain imprisoned for having participated in protests in opposition to the Ortega government.

Since May of 2021, the National Police, supported by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, unleashed a wave of arrests aimed at criminalizing at least 39 people – including seven presidential candidates, human rights defenders, non-governmental organization workers, journalists, businessmen, peasant and student leaders and other dissident voices. The most recent arrests were carried out against the President and First Vice President of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP), Michael Healy and Álvaro Vargas, respectively, on October 21.

In most of these cases, a group of legislation passed in 2020 has been applied, which have been highly criticized by the international community because they fail to comply with the country’s human rights obligations and cause a perverse effect on the administration of justice, selectively criminalizing the opposition. These include the Foreign Agents Law (Ley de Agentes Extranjeros), the Law for the Defense of the People’s Rights to Independence (Ley de Defensa de los Derechos del Pueblo a la Independencia), the Special Law on Cyber Crimes (Ley Especial de Ciberdelitos), the Anti-Money Laundering Law (Ley contra el Lavado de Activos) and the Reform to the Criminal Procedural Code Law 1060, which expands the term of detention to 90 days, without minimum guarantees of due process.

As families of political prisoners, local and international organizations, we denounced violations of due process and detentions without communication. Many victims were in a situation of “forced disappearance” until August 31, when state authorities finally allowed the first family visits at the Judicial Assistance Directorate (Dirección de Auxilio Judicial). More recently, on October 11, a second visit was allowed, through which the families of the detainees observed aggravated conditions of detention, such as isolation and being kept in the dark or under permanent electric light, continuous weight loss and lack of adequate medical attention.

Deprivation of liberty for political reasons must be eliminated from Latin America, and Nicaragua is no exception. For Race and Equality, one political prisoner is too many and we will not rest in our demand for freedom. Given the perpetuation in power of the Ortega Murillo family, 2022 will be a key year to advocate before international bodies and mechanisms to urge the regime to release all those people who are now in jail unjustly and to immediately cease all forms of repression against those who oppose

Freedom of expression and freedom of the press – During the last three years, attacks against the media, journalists and media executives have not ceased. The independent press in Nicaragua has been the victim of harassment, threats, smear campaigns, judicial harassment, theft of equipment, withholding of paper and ink, raids, immigration detention and deprivation of liberty of journalists, commentators and media executives.

Since May 2021, in the framework of the administrative and criminal investigations against the Violeta Barrios de Chamorro Foundation – one of the main organizations dedicated to the defense of freedom of the press in the country, which had ceased to operate in February 2021 – more than 25 journalists and media workers were summoned to testify before the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and some were threatened with the application of the Special Law on Cybercrime. Likewise, arrest warrants were issued against some of their workers, as in the case of the defender Guillermo Medrano and journalist Lourdes Arróliga. This situation has forced at least 40 journalists into exile.

The pattern established by the Nicaraguan authorities of preventing the entry and expulsion of journalists from international media interested in reporting on the human rights crisis, and more recently on the electoral process is of deep concern. All of the above, coupled with the Supreme Electoral Council’s refusal to accredit journalists and independent media outlets is further evidence that Ortega and Murillo intend to undermine freedom of expression and freedom of the press.

Repression against indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples – The Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples of Nicaragua’s Caribbean Coast have been targeted by armed groups since 2015. The number of fatalities and systematic violence has increased considerably this year.

On August 23, “settlers” executed a massacre in the Kiwakumbaih hill of the Mayangna Sauni As territory, in the North Caribbean of Nicaragua, where at least 9 Mayagna and Miskitu indigenous people were killed, including women and children. Forty-one days later, on October 4, invaders kidnapped and murdered Mayangna Martiniano Macario in Kimawkas (known as Tigre Negro), within the Mayangna Sauni As territory.

After these events, the pro-government media blamed members of the indigenous peoples for the growing violence and deforestation of the Bosawás Biosphere Reserve. Likewise, they tried to disqualify recognized organizations defending the rights of indigenous peoples such as the Center for Justice and Human Rights of the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua (CEJUDHCAN), the Center for Legal Assistance to Indigenous Peoples (CALPI) or the River Foundation, calling them “organizations aligned with the political opposition” and claiming that indigenous leaders do not feel represented by them. Recognizing the violence suffered by indigenous peoples, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) extended the provisional measures granted to 9 Miskitu communities.

Race and Equality recognizes the invaluable work of organizations and defenders working on the ground, and of those who have been forced into exile but continue to advocate for Nicaragua’s indigenous peoples’ rights. We must not remain indifferent in the face of discrimination, assassinations and dispossession of indigenous lands. The government must guarantee security in the face of the invasions and the regulation of titled territories; likewise, the armed groups must be dismantled, dismantled and brought to justice.

Nicaragua at the UN – Despite the fact that the United Nations Human Rights Council has followed the situation in Nicaragua for three consecutive years and has adopted three resolutions to promote and protect human rights in the country, the Nicaraguan government has shown no willingness to overcome the serious human rights crisis.

In accordance with Resolution 46/2, on September 13, High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet gave an oral update on Nicaragua in which she lamented the deterioration of civil and political rights in the electoral context, and urged the Human Rights Council to consider all measures within its power to protect human rights in the country. To date, the regime has not complied with any of the recommendations made by the High Commissioner.

In addition, on October 7 and 8, the State of Nicaragua was summoned to a dialogue with the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR) to review the implementation of the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Nicaraguan representative chose to participate in a “listening capacity”, refusing to engage in a constructive exchange with the expert members. Despite the State’s lack of cooperation, the Committee published its concluding observations and concerns on October 20.

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights considered persecution and reprisals against human rights defenders, violence against indigenous peoples and the lack of access to information on the COVID-19 pandemic to be of particular priority; and made recommendations related to guaranteeing the impartiality and independence of the Judiciary and the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office, reestablishing international dialogue and cooperation with human rights protection mechanisms, and providing effective protection to victims of corruption cases, among others.

Nicaragua in the Inter-American Human Rights System – The Inter-American Court has also pronounced itself on the extreme gravity of the current context in the country. The Court ordered the immediate release of 21 persons arbitrarily detained in the current wave of repression In the framework of the provisional measures granted in favor of them. Likewise, this Court has repeatedly expressed its willingness to carry out an on-site visit to Nicaragua with the objective of verifying the conditions in which the detainees are being held. However, the State has not given its consent.

For Race and Equality, the Ortega regime has not shown the slightest willingness to cooperate “in good faith” with the United Nations, nor with the Inter-American Human Rights System. Far from this, it insists on remaining absolutely closed to international scrutiny and has tried to disqualify their work by accusing them of being “repressive” and “interfering”. Faced with this negative stance of the Nicaraguan State, it is essential that human rights organizations continue to carry out the excellent work of monitoring, documenting and denouncing human rights violations that they have done so far.

In view of the next session of the Human Rights Council in March 2022, we request that the monitoring mandate of High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet be renewed and that an investigation and accountability mechanism be established for Nicaragua. This mechanism should investigate the grave human rights violations that we civil society organizations have documented since April 2018, as well as the structural causes that have caused Nicaragua to remain immersed in this crisis. This mechanism would allow the mandate to verify the facts, identify perpetrators, and preserve evidence for when the conditions for a justice process in Nicaragua are in place. It is a key tool in the fight against impunity and we will strongly support its establishment.

The Nicaraguan people deserve justice and freedom. Let us not forget Nicaragua!

United Nations Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Visits Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala in a Mission of “Active Listening” coordinated by Race and Equality

Washington DC, October 19, 2021.- The International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality), in conjunction with the delegations of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Guatemala, Honduras and Panama, organized a promotional visit with the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, Víctor Madrigal-Borloz, to Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.

The visits took place between October 11 and 16, the Independent Expert (IE SOGI) had the opportunity to meet with activists and LGBTI + groups from each country. In each “Listening Visit” — as the IE SOGI called them — he actively listened and dialogued with representatives and members of organizations that promote and defend the human rights of LGBTI + people, this contributed to strengthening the links between civil society and his Mandate.

The meetings were held in Tegucigalpa (Honduras), San Salvador (El Salvador) and Guatemala City (Guatemala). In total, around 35 organizations attended the meetings, and more than 100 activists from the LGBTI + community participated, including people who attended a public event in the Honduran capital, where the IE SOGI presented his latest report on gender identity, entitled, The Law of Inclusion & Practices of Exclusion.

In Honduras, Madrigal-Borloz listened to organizations that expressed concerns around the criminalization of LGBTI + people, particularly in the electoral context that the country is experiencing before the general elections scheduled for November 28. They noted that both the candidates and President Juan Orlando Hernández continue to spread hate speech which contributes to an increase in violence against LGBTI + people. This is aggravated, they said, by the multiple barriers that this community faces in access to justice, starting with discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Honduran civil society also described the various efforts that have been made to introduce a draft Gender Identity Law to the National Assembly, but to date have not been able to discuss it in Parliament. In this regard, they referred to the lack of guarantees for trans persons to have access to work, education and health, and in cases where they have had access to these spaces, they have been victims of expulsion and ill-treatment, especially in the area of health where staff are not trained and therefore engage in stereotypes and discriminatory practices.

The LGBTI+ population in El Salvador confronts a similar situation, where in May -after a new National Assembly was installed with a resounding majority of President Nayib Bukele’s party -the National Assembly archived a draft Gender Identity Law that had been introduced in March 2018. While organizations noted a decrease in official homicide figures, they were concerned about the increase in the number of missing persons. Likewise, lesbian women organizations highlighted that the fear of identifying as a lesbian woman due to the discrimination and violence they face prevails among this community.

The organizations also raised concerns regarding the persecution of trans women who are sex workers, and the lack of attention and protection of the State in the face of hate crimes suffered by LGBTI+ people in El Salvador. This, they said, is affecting the internal displacement and migration of this population, for which the spaces for participation and denunciation are increasingly closed. The Independent Expert also had the opportunity to meet with academic organizations and institutions who engage in data collection and legal and humanitarian assistance. In that regard, the importance of carrying out such work from a differential and intersectional perspective was highlighted.

In Guatemala, the organizations expressed concern about the NGO Law, because it implies limitations and threats to organizations that promote and defend human rights, and by the initiative of Law 5940 or Law to guarantee the comprehensive protection of children and adolescents against disorders of gender identity, because it proposes to remove the right to self-determination of gender identity of children and trans adolescents. This bill adds to the proposed Law 5272 or Law on the Protection of Life and the Family, which is also of great concern to civil society because it criminalizes abortion and uses retrograde and stigmatizing ideas to support the concept of cis-heteronormative families.

Activists were also able to share information on discrimination in the field of employment and education. They highlighted that transgender people are expelled from schools for making their gender identity visible and are constantly facing bullying. In addition, a large part of the transmasculine population cannot access employment because of their gender expression.

They also referred to the invisibility of lesbian and bisexual women, which means that crimes against this population are not reflected in official statistics or are categorized as crimes against heterosexual women. They also indicated that this group faces many barriers to accessing health because many do not feel comfortable going to a gynecologist and exposing their sexual life.

Race and Equality accompanied each of these meetings and will continue to support the work of the Independent Expert. In addition, Race and Equality is committed to continue working with civil society in these countries to make their struggles visible. We thank all civil society organizations, the delegations of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and all those who made this visit possible.

Brazil’s 600 thousand deaths: the crisis of representative democracy in a country of fake news

Brazil, October 8th, 2021 – Under the guidance of a president who continues to ignore health protocols and incite crowds during a pandemic, Brazil has officially reached the milestone of 600,000 deaths from COVID-19 this October. In his 2 years in power, Jair Messias Bolsonaro has been accused of being in denial. However, further analysis show that COVID-19 played a central role in the Bolsonaro government’s strategy to implement a policy of death and exclusion. Bolsonaro didn’t just simply deny the existence of a pandemic, it can be said that the President was. and continues to be COVID-19’s ‘propaganda boy’, a virus activists and disseminator that brought about the crisis of democracy in the country through his fiery and radical speeches that have fueled the spread of false information and complete disregard for human rights.

The current government’s rise to power was facilitated largely by Jair Bolsonaro’s “myth”. A character who is a spokesperson for a Christian God and the traditional Brazilian family, and who evokes order and patriotism, seeking to restore a country filled with uncertainty and systemic corruption. The President is in a political alliance with center and right-wing parties, in addition to its obedient ministerial leadership. His family reveals itself as the focal point in the government’s corruption scandals. These factors paved way to a sequence of approved laws, signed decrees and controversial reforms with the consent of the legislative parliament.

In this context, public institutions, civil society organizations and activist leaderships that look after the democratic rule of law and human rights have become the target of political attacks, ranging from physical and/or online hate attacks to restriction of spaces of representation and citizen participation. There exists a political project which focuses on the expansion of inequalities, “fake news” and removal of rights from entire populations, among which, the most affected were already in a vulnerable situation, such as the black, quilombola, indigenous and LGBTI+ populations.

In this regard, the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) publishes this editorial letter to ask the international community for a joint statement urging the Brazilian State to provide clear and transparent information, and respect for the independence of federal entities and institutions, as well as the Universities, Federal Police and Supreme Court for the free exercise of freedom of expression, guaranteed by the Constitution, and for an impartial investigation process into the Bolsonaro government. After all, what are the interest of an authoritarian President who imposed government secrecy of up to 100 years to his vaccination card and to his children’s badges about their access to the Government head office?

Below is an updated overview of the acts of power that are triggering the crisis of representative democracy in Brazil, in which 600,000 lives have been lost to COVID-19. Brazil is the nation with the second-highest mortality rate, and occupies the 62nd place in the global ranking of application of vaccines against the coronavirus(1). Until now, 44.61% of the Brazilian population has been fully immunized.

CPI of COVID-19 – Established in April 2021 and with a deadline for completion in November this year, the Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI in Portuguese), headed by the Federal Senate, aims to investigate irregularities in the Bolsonaro government’s policies to combat the pandemic in the country. Since its inception a series of scandals has been uncovered, including a major corruption scheme in the purchase of vaccines 1000% more expensive. In addition, the government also acted so that the private health operator `Prevent Senior´recommends the ´Covid Kit`, which contains a package of drugs that have been proven to be ineffective for the treatment of COVID-19, making its patients human laboratory experiments for the Federal Government’s lucrative and hidden interests. It was also proven that in the first year of the pandemic 120,000 lives could have been saved had Brazil followed effective public health and world health protocols.

In addition, the study also brought to light the focus of racial, class and gender inequality in pandemic-related deaths. Among preventable deaths, it was found that the black population was severely affected, having a 17% higher risk of dying in the public network. Therefore, the CPI is revealing the intricacies of necropolitics that it has underlined before every nation that “death is also hospital discharge”.

2022 Elections and Judicial Inquiries – The Bolsonaro government’s plan for reelection follows its manipulation during the pandemic, the populist appeal and disrespect for democratic institutions. The President launched voracious attacks against the Brazilian electoral system, campaigning for the return of the printed vote and, despite losing the appeal, continued to attack the legitimacy and reliability of Brazil’s current election model. However, to guarantee his re-election, Bolsonaro continues to pass laws and decrees that remove rights from the population and benefit political and private sectors of society, in other words, the economic elite.

Some examples include: The Electoral Fund, which provides for the parties’ budget to carry out electoral campaigns and , despite vetoes, can withdraw R$3.5 billion from health in 2022; The Mini Labor Reform, which makes working conditions even more precarious and makes labor justice inaccessible for the workers; The anti-terrorism law, already approved in the Chamber of Deputies, which provides for the creation of a secret police for Bolsonaro and the approval of the exclusion of illegality of public security agents, a fact denounced by civil society as a license to kill. This law has even been criticized by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, who considered its text a threat to human rights activists and civil society entities; and the Land grabbing project, favoring deforestation and impunity for environmental crimes – this bill is one of the subterfuges of the rural caucus for the occupation of public lands.

Despite all these schemes to stay in power, Bolsonaro is investigated in five inquiries which are ongoing at the Supreme Court (STF – its acronym in Portuguese) and at the Superior Electoral Court (TSE – its acronym in Portuguese). From the fake news inquiry to irregularities in the purchase of Covaxin vaccines, government allies are also being investigated for attacks on democracy and state institutions. In addition, his sons; Carlos, Eduardo and Renan Bolsonaro, and his wife Michele Bolsonaro, are also being investigated for various crimes, among which are suspected of leading a criminal organization to passive corruption. During this period, Bolsonaro once again acted against the transparency of information and authorized a secret budget for 2022, in which it maintains in its power the release of resources in exchange for votes in the legislative house.

Protests for Bolsonaro’s impeachment and the undemocratic protests –With a growing rejection of the current government, demonstrations erupted across the country in favor of impeaching Bolsonaro. Even some parties that campaigned in favor of the election of the President, organized themselves into acts calling for the end of the government. With the motto “Vaccine in the arm and food on the plate”, civil society organizations denounce the racist and genocidal barbarism allied to the current dismantling of public policies. The economic crisis, aggravated by high food prices and inflation, together with the increase in vaccination, have encouraged more people to take to the streets in protests calling ‘Bolsonaro Out‘. The last demonstration took place on October 2, 2021 and managed to bring together various sectors of society. There are more than 123 requests for impeachment presented that attribute crimes to the President, in addition to several accusations to international bodies and even in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), for crimes against humanity and genocide.

However, between the fall of his popularity and the current crisis of his government, Bolsonaro has not renounced the media strategies of abuse of power and authoritarianism. He challenged legal institutions by inciting protests on September 7^th, Brazilian Independence Day, where anti-democratic demonstrations took place in which the people, inflamed by the President’s warlike and despot speech, exalted disobedience to justice through military intervention and against the STF. Still, other anti-democratic demonstrations were ignited with the support of some truck drivers which also intended to massively paralyze some of the country’s highways on the same date. However, fearing reprisals, Bolsonaro sent an audio message asking them to put an end to the attempt. As the situation only got worse, a few days after his attacks on democracy, the President issued a media note attempting to pacify tensions, proposing a truce between the country’s institutions of power. Whether an irony of fate or a camouflaged electoral move, the statement released was written by Michel Temer, former president of Brazil.

Bolsonaro at the UN – In addition to being the only unvaccinated G20 leader present at the 75th UN General Assembly, Bolsonaro, in his opening remarks distorted facts and spread false information. In an illusory communist attack on the country, the President cried out in the name of God in a secular country and claimed there was no corruption in his government. He defended his ineffective early treatment for COVID-19 and opposed the health passport and concealed data on deforestation in the Amazon, even ignoring the consequences of the pandemic on indigenous peoples and territories. As if that wasn’t enough, some members of the President’s entourage were diagnosed with COVID during the trip, including the Minister of Health, Marcelo Queiroga. The minister had a week earlier suspended the national adolescent vaccination strategy, making it difficult to provide doses in several states. Even so, on the recommendation of Anvisa(2), those infected during the trip had to undergo isolation in New York, at the expense of the Brazilian taxpayers.

Hunger and Unemployment – Food and nutritional insecurity has grown exponentially in the country due to the crisis caused by the pandemic and the high rate of unemployment and informal work. According to the National Survey on Food Insecurity held in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic, 43.4 million Brazilians do not have enough food and 19.1 million (9% of the population) are starving. An example of this bleak and severe scenario recently reported in the media is the distribution of remnants of meat and bones for the hungry population and without any financial resources. In this way, it appears again that the current political project dialogues with necropolitics by allowing hunger to reach these levels, especially affecting the black population. While the population is starving, the Minister of Economy, Paulo Guedes, disdains the rise in inflation, and the results of his economic policy are reflected in the rise in prices of basic food and cooking gas.

Environment: Thesis on the Marco Temporal (Time Limit) and Ricardo Salles’ Dismissal – The Marco Temporal interpretative framework goes against the rights of Brazilian native peoples. According to this thesis, indigenous populations are only entitled to the lands they occupied before the promulgation of the 1988 Constitution. However, there are still isolated peoples, those who were expelled from their territories and lands acquired and recognized as having indigenous rights after 1988. Thus, the review of the demarcation of indigenous lands serves the interests of the agrobusiness sectors, land grabbers and miners, in search of extractive and commercial exploitation. In August of this year, more than six thousand representatives of 147 peoples from the country camped in Brasília, to accompany the judgment by the STF. Despite all the indigenous mobilization that took large proportions even on the international scene, the judgment, which was tied at 1×1 between the rapporteurs, was suspended at the end of September without a deadline for resumption. It is worth remembering that even though it is a racist and discriminatory thesis, what is widely discussed about the Marco Temporal is the indigenous territorial issue.

Among the agendas of the environment, the then Minister of Environment, Ricardo Salles, became the target of investigations for involvement in a scheme of illegal timber import between support for changes in environmental rules. Accusations include corruption and favoring burning in the Amazon, and other various environmental crimes in levied against Salles. As soon as he became a defendant, Salles asked to be removed from office and was dismissed. The operation triggered by the STF also determined the removal of the President of IBAMA (3), Eduardo Bim, on suspicion of irregularities.

This editorial seeks to fulfill the mission of Race and Equality, of denouncing human rights violations in Latin America. Our work in Brazil recognizes that the crisis of representative democracy combined with political interests, further deepens socioeconomic inequalities. The circulation of disinformation and fake news needs to be addressed urgently, as they serve to expand a polarized political debate in which there is the criminalization of poverty allied to racist, anti-LGBTI and sexist discourses and violence. The pandemic slaughter has already cost 600,000 lives, many of which could have been preventable, but will it be that, in the face of so many accusations, Bolsonaro’s Brazil will reach the deplorable mark of 1 million deaths? We hope not.

Data from September 13, 2021
Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency
Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources

Interview with Jurema Werneck: The resounding voice of the Ialodês on Black Consciousness Day

Interview with Jurema Werneck: The resounding voice of the Ialodês on Black Consciousness Day

Cuba: IACHR Grants Precautionary Measures to Independent Journalist Héctor Valdés Cocho and Human Rights Defender Raúl Soublett López

Joint statement: States must support new UN body to counter anti-Black racism by ensuring the nomination of strong and independent experts

Salgueiro Massacre – Brazilian black population calls for help!: Race and Equality condemns genocide against the black population and calls to guarantee the life of black people

Race and Equality Releases Report About Women Political Prisoners in Cuba and Calls on the State to Cease Persecution and Criminalization of Human Rights Defenders

Trans Day of Remembrance: An urgent call to combat transphobia in Latin America

Race and Equality recognizes and appreciates the role of Antonia Urrejola in promoting human rights in the region

Let us not forget Nicaragua!

United Nations Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Visits Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala in a Mission of “Active Listening” coordinated by Race and Equality

Brazil’s 600 thousand deaths: the crisis of representative democracy in a country of fake news

Join Our Efforts