Minister Defends Brazil’s image in the UN with speech full of omissions

In a speech at the Human Rights Council, Damares Alves defended the Bolsonaro administration

Minister Damares Alves giving a speech from the rostrum of the UN Human Rights Council

The Minister of Women, Family and Human Rights, Damares Alves, stepped up to the rostrum of the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, March 24, to defend the image of the Jair Bolsonaro government before the international community.

According to Alves, she came to present a “new Brazil”. She highlighted the reduction in murders, the combat of organized crime, the new human rights ombudsman’s office and the fight against corruption.

“We do not make speeches in homage to human rights and social justice as a smokescreen for the institutionalized diversion of billions of dollars earmarked for health, education and public security. We are in fact doing the opposite. In 2019, the equivalent of more than 25 million dollars in assets recovered from the “Operation Car Wash” [corruption investigations] were allocated to the promotion of the rights of young offenders. Money from corruption is now being spent on public policies for the defense of human rights in Brazil,” said the minister.

Watch the speech below:

According to Camila Asano, program coordinator at Conectas, the minister attempted to shield the image of Brazil in the UN with a speech full of omissions.

“The Bolsonaro government was elected on an anti-rights platform and with hate speech against indigenous peoples, LGBTs, blacks and women. This is exactly the discourse that the government has been implementing,” argued Asano. “It continues to submit legislative bills that systematically violate human rights, such as the exemption from illegality clause [which grants more protection to police officers who kill during operations] or mining on indigenous lands, while it attacks journalists with misogynistic rhetoric and calls people with HIV/AIDS an ‘expense’ for the State.”

Asano also noted a change in the stance of Brazilian foreign policy, which has stopped addressing major global issues to focus on promotion and defense of the administration.

“The minister’s speech reflects the contracting international relevance of Brazil in the world. Damares used her time for self-promotion in an attempt to distract attention from the serious violations committed by the Bolsonaro government,” said Asano. “Membership of the Human Rights Council implies a commitment to find solutions for the various crises of freedoms and oppressions in the world and the only situation briefly mentioned was Venezuela, but the focus once again was on the self-promotion of Brazil’s measures,” she concluded.