Violence against voters increased by 40% in the 2nd round, says Amnesty International

The cases were mapped by Amnesty International in the document “Intimidation as a method – violence and threats against voters in 2022”.

Of the 59 situations identified, 11 concerned offense, threat, aggression or intimidation with the use of weapons. 7 of the cases involved threats, all directed at people identified with the candidate Lula (PT). 5 of them involved reports of persecution or physical aggression – including journalists, a state deputy, and supporters of the PT candidate.

In São Paulo, on October 5th, a murder took place in the clash of friends who supported opposing presidential candidates.

In Rondônia, they were mapped cases of indigenous people victims of intense hostility by reproducing lies associated with the electoral context.

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Types of intimidations

Among the registered cases are:

– attacks on electronic voting machines, attacks on servers and volunteers on duty on election day, restrictions on the right to free movement of voters, harassment of people who vote, violation of vote secrecy and politically motivated domestic violence.

Intolerance and religious prejudice

According to Amnesty International, the document also identified 6 cases of persecution against priests, pastors and church members.

Religious violence and elections in Brazil: how did we end up here?

Episodes of religious violence have increased in Brazil, as shown in the first mapping of religious racism in the country, “Respeite meu Terreiro”, organized by the National Network of Afro-Brazilian Religions and Health (Renafro). Almost 99% of religious leaders from 53 regional centers across Brazil said they had already suffered some type of offense. At the same time, religious debates have been central to this year's elections. Why is it so difficult to separate faith and politics in Brazil? O Curto talked about the topic with José Sepulveda, coordinator of the Observatory of Secularism in Education at the Fluminense Federal University.

Political violence is the keynote of the 2022 elections

At the beginning of October, the NGOs Justiça Global and Terra de Direito released a report that estimated that, in the two months leading up to the day of the first round of elections, the Brazil had two cases of political violence per day.

Read also Political violence marks the 2022 election (D.W.)

Political violence grows in Brazil; In the first semester alone there were 214 episodes

18 days before the elections, disagreements between supporters of opposing candidates and attacks against politicians have worried institutions, such as the Federal Supreme Court and the Electoral Court. Last Monday (12), a councilor from Conchas, in the interior of São Paulo, was killed with gunshots to the head. The crime, which is still being investigated, is reminiscent of two other homicides – of the PT treasurer in Foz do Iguaçu, Marcelo Arruda, and of Lula supporter, Benedito Cardoso dos Santos – which were politically motivated. According to a survey by UniRio, 45 political leaders were killed in the country in the first half of this year.

Curto Curatorship

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Live elections: follow the news about the final stretch of the dispute

A few days before the second round of the 2022 Elections, reinforcing its commitment against fake news and disinformation, the Curto News highlights the main news about the election that will decide Brazil's democratic future. Follow along!

Datafolha researchers are harassed during survey

Last Tuesday alone, the Datafolha institute recorded ten cases of hostility and even aggression against researchers in different regions of Brazil. In August, in the capital of Minas Gerais, four men chased an interviewer who had to run, fell and injured herself. Journalists have also been targets of verbal attacks and threats from politicians and supporters who identify themselves as Bolsonaristas.