Brazil is denounced to the UN for poor handling of the coronavirus crisis
In a letter, civil society organisations have drawn attention to measures taken by the Federal Government during the pandemic
A letter signed by around 162 organisations and social movements will be presented at a session of the UN Human Rights Council this week, denouncing omissions and the Federal Government´s poor handling of the crisis caused by the new coronavirus.
The organisations hope to expose Brazil at the international tribune and to apply pressure for the different problems identified to be urgently rectified, particularly those related to the distribution of emergency assistance.
The text lists a number of problems observed during the implementation of the benefit, which is aimed at informal and low-income workers, that were not resolved by President Jair Bolsonaro´s government. One of these problems was the digital nature of the platform which makes it difficult for at least 25% of the Brazilian population to access it as, according to IBGE data they do not have internet.
The programme contains a number of errors even when people follow the steps for registration. In the text, the organisations note that even sixty days into the programme, at least 10 million families are still undergoing analysis.
The aim of the programme is to evaluate candidates in up to five days and to pay out the benefit 72 hours after this.
One of the points highlighted by the organisations who have signed the letter is understanding the criteria used for the more than 40 million requests that have been denied. While around 73 thousand military personnel received the benefit in May. At this time, the Ministry of Defence opened an investigation and ordered that the money was returned.
The letter also states that there is no channel whatsoever through which people who are denied the benefit can explain their situation and find out why they were turned down.
The organisations hope the text will resonate at the UN and that the matter will reach the National Congress so that members of congress can adhere to suggestions for improving and fixing the benefit programme.
