Campaign puts pressure on congress to reverse provisional measure to control NGOs

Unconstitutional provisional measure gives the Executive power to control and monitor the work of NGOs

The Campaign Sociedade Livre (Free Society) was launched on Tuesday, 23 April with the objective of mobilising the population to put pressure on public powers to reverse Article 5, clause II of Provisional Measure (MP) 870/2019 – provisional measure to control NGOs.

This measure makes the Secretary of Government responsible for “supervising, coordinating, monitoring and accompanying the activities and actions of international bodies and non-governmental organisations within national territory” and facilitates government interference in more than 800 thousand Brazilian NGOS.

Since January, social organisations have been taking a stand against this provisional measure. An open letter, addressed to General Santos Cruz, Chief Minister of the Secretary of Government of the Presidency of the Republic, was signed by more than 60 organisations.

“The idea is to put pressure on members of congress who are on the joint commission set up to assess the provisional measure.” Explained Ricardo Borges Martins, executive coordinator of Pacto pela Democracia (Pact for Democracy). To do this anyone can send emails to Senators and backbenchers via the campaign site.

In addition to launching its action Sociedade Livre, Pacto pela Democracia will also represent the organisations in a public hearing on this matter, to be held in Brasilia, on Wednesday, 24 April at 2pm, in Anexo II of the Federal Senate. Voting on the measure is scheduled for 8 May.

Pacto pela Democracia is a coalition of over 100 social organisations, including Conectas, who define themselves as being a platform for joint action, acting as a compass in a series of initiatives like this one and standing up for the construction of democracy in the country.