Brazil: Citizens Signed Manifesto Declaring Brazilian Democracy in Danger as Presidential Election Nears

Almost a million citizens in Brazil have signed a manifesto declaring that the Brazilian democracy currently faces "immense danger" with growing fears that the nation's President Jair Bolsonaro could refuse to accept defeat in the upcoming presidential election.

The Guardian reported that the declaration comes after Bolsonaro escalated attacks on Brazil's election system. He also urged supporters to be on the streets "for the last time" before the October election.

The manifesto noted that Brazil is facing "a moment of immense danger to democratic normality."

Brazilians who signed the manifesto also stated that any attempt to incite violence or encourage "a rupture with constitutional order" would be "intolerable."

The manifesto was inspired by a 1977 declaration, which denounced the dictatorship Brazil was placed under in the years 1964-1985.

The document was signed by three former presidents, as well musicians such as Caetano Veloso, Milton Nascimento, and Brazil's pop star Anitta.

Anitta has described October's election by referencing JK Rowling's Harry Potter series.

The document noted that they saw how "authoritarian follies" had placed U.S.'s centuries-old democracy at risk, adding that the same tactic will not succeed in Brazil.

Brazilian Democracy

Jose Carlos Dias, a former justice minister who helped write the 1977 letter and the two documents, noted in an Al Jazeera report that Brazil is at risk of a coup, "so civil society must stand up and fight against that" to ensure democracy in the country.

Thousands of Brazilians gathered at a law school on Thursday to defend the country's democratic institutions.

Drivers were stuck in traffic in Sao Paulo on one of the main roads to the law school, applauding and honking at marching students clamoring with pro-democracy slogans.

The same incident happened in 1977, wherein the mass flocked to the University of Sao Paulo's law school to listen to a reading of "A Letter to Brazilians," which is a manifesto calling for the immediate rule of law.

Bolsonaro has started expressing a want for the armed forces to be greatly involved in election oversight. Army officials visited the electoral authority's headquarters last week to inspect the source codes of voting machines.

Jair Bolsonaro and Brazilian Army

Bolsonaro has consistently questioned the integrity of voting systems, issuing warnings that if he loses October's election, it will be most likely a result of a stolen vote.

The New York Times noted that Bolsonaro has enlisted the nation's military in his fight against the electoral process. Army officials have suddenly started raising similar concerns about the election process despite having little evidence of past fraud.

Military leaders were also given a spot on a transparency committee that election officials created to address fears that Bolsonaro has triggered about the election.

Bolsonaro also suggested that on Election Day, the military should do an independent count of the votes.

The Brazilian president is a former army captain and has spoken fondly about the dictatorship.

Almir Garnier Santos, the commander of the Brazilian Navy, announced to the media last month that he supports Bolsonaro's view, adding that the president is his commander and "has the right to say whatever he wants."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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