Brazil’s institutions solid, foreign minister says

On a trip in Europe, Brazil’s Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes Ferreira underlined the reliability of the country’s elections—whose second round is slate to take place in two weeks. The statement was made Thursday (Oct. 11).

When asked in Madrid whether there have been threats to democracy and human rights depending on who becomes the next president, he answered that the country is a consolidated democracy.

Far-right candidates Jair Bolsonaro, of the Social Liberal Party (PSL), and center-left Fernando Haddad, of the Workers’ Party (PT) are competing for the post as the country’s leader on a run-off vote to be held on October 28.

“It’s an electoral process with a very reliable result,” he said during a press conference. “Brazil’s a country with solid democratic institutions, an independent judiciary system, and free press,” he added.

The minister is in Spain on a mission to negotiate terms of the Mercosur–EU deal.

Setbacks

When questioned about possible setbacks in ensuring the enforcement of human rights among minorities, Aloysio Nunes argued that Brazilian law is solid, and mentioned international commitments made to protect human rights.

“Our legislation is exemplary. It’s based on both federal and constitutional norms,” he pointed out. “A change in who’s in command will not move the way we enforce human rights this way or that. We have fairly strong international commitments in this connection.”

In the interview, Nunes also highlighted that elections in Brazil face the particular issues of a populous and extremely large country. “Some of our voting machines are taken by boat to the far ends of the Amazon and to indigenous villages, and are powered with solar energy.”