Joint statement – Conectas Human Rights and WOLA
Human rights organizations in Brazil and the U.S. condemn the Trump administration’s attacks on Brazilian democracy
Conectas Human Rights (Brazil) and WOLA – Washington Office on Latin America (USA) condemn the attacks against the democratic rule of law in Brazil imposed by the Trump administration. We, the undersigned, are concerned with the imposition of 50% trade tariffs on Brazilian products for non-commercial reasons and the unprecedented application of the Magnitsky Act against a member of the Supreme Court, which came into effect this week.
Both measures were adopted by the US government for purely political reasons, effectively endorsing attacks on democracy in Brazil, especially against the independence of the judiciary – a pillar of the rule of law.
Brazilian democracy has been under attack in recent years, which culminated in the failed coup attempt against a democratically elected president in 2022. Trump’s measures come at a time when the legal process to hold those involved in the coup attempt in Brazil accountable is underway.
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We are concerned about the tendency of some authoritarian governments to manipulate national and international human rights mechanisms and regulations in an attempt to legitimize their efforts to undermine the principles of the democratic rule of law and attack historically vulnerable groups. This practice undermines the credibility of these mechanisms designed to serve justice and protect victims of fundamental rights violations.
It is urgent that U.S. institutions exercise checks and balances between the branches of government to reverse inappropriate measures, clarify which private and public actors are involved in this attempt at foreign interference, and thus curb the escalation of attacks from the US against Brazilian democracy.
