Endorsement by Bolsonaro of demonstrations against Congress and Supreme Court is unconstitutional, says civil society
According to the organizations, the president’s justification that he shared the video on a personal basis does not diminish the seriousness of the incident
Foto: Carolina Antunes/PR
The endorsement given by President Jair Bolsonaro to the demonstrations against the National Congress and the Supreme Court is unconstitutional. This is the opinion of more than 60 civil society organizations, among them Conectas, that issued a public statement on Friday, February 28.
The legal debate on the issue arose after Bolsonaro shared, in a WhatsApp group, a video calling on the population to take to the streets in defense of his government and in protest against the Legislature and the Judiciary. The demonstration is scheduled for March 15.
In their statement, the organizations argue that the president’s conduct violates article 85, item II, of the Federal Constitution, which states: “Acts of the President of the Republic that violate the Federal Constitution are impeachable offenses, especially those against: II – the free exercise of the powers of the Legislature, the Judiciary, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the constitutional powers of the states”.
According to the organizations, “attacks on democracy and social stability coming from the highest authority of the country should not be dismissed as being personal,” as the president justified when asked about the incident. They argued that communication via WhatsApp cannot be considered private and they added that Bolsonaro should be held constitutionally liable for his conduct.
