Categoria: Institucional

Friends of the Earth Brazil, a social organisation acting for Environmental Justice in this country for more than 50 years, in this vile moment of Brazil’s history comes to publicly repudiate the attempted coup by supporters of Bolsonaro, which caused destruction in the National Congress, the Supreme Federal Court and Palácio do Planalto (seat of the central administration of the federal government). Such acts are anti-democratic and constitute terrorist practices. The violent intentions of those groups were clearly exposed to the Brazilian society.   

With gloom and indignation, we watched the acts of violence and vandalism which took place with the connivance of the public security and insubordinate inaction of the Armed Forces in the Three Powers Plaza. The same place where some days ago, on January 1st, 2023, with more than 40 thousand people in front of the palace’s ramp, and more than 300 thousand in the area of the monumental axis in Brasilia, we experienced the biggest popular and democratic party of all times: the inauguration of president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who received the presidential sash from the hands of representatives of the Brazilian people.

In the face of barbarism, the Military Police of the Federal District did not act. Besides negligent, they were connivant. Also condemnable is the attitude of the governor of the Federal District, Ibaneis Rocha, now ousted from his position. Only after some political pressure did he exonerate the chief of public security, ex-minister of justice in the Bolsonaro administration. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate and punish the people responsible for governability, for public security and for not having performed their duties and demonstrated commitment to the Rule of Law, nor having guarded, as responsible authorities, the civilising and democratic landmarks of a nation.

All the people involved, from the ones who were present in the violent demonstrations to the ones who financed the mobilisations, must be mercilessly investigated and punished for the destruction, but above all for the attack on democracy. There must not be any type of amnesty to this fascist and coup-inciting barbarism! We must change history and hold accountable those who have used violence against the elections and the democratic institutions. May episodes like this, of fascist attempt, never exist in Brazil, Latin America and the whole world! Enough with the coup attempts against democratically elected governments!

As diverse Brazilian people who integrate a social organisation committed to environmental, social, economic and gender justice, and to the fight against the oppressions of class, race or heteronormative ones, we need to show solidarity in this situation of attack on the Brazilian people. We hope this episode can be a lesson for the construction of ways to overcome so many wounds, violence and historical debts which the country has to face regarding women, original peoples, quilombolas and black people in order to become a humanely dignified and democratic society.

We, along with the popular movements in the Brazilian democratic arena, summon all people who defend democracy, peace, love and respect; all the peoples in this country in their great richness and diversity, to be in the streets today (January, 9th). We also count on the internationalist solidarity of social movements around the world which act in defence of democracy, against fascism and in the construction of just and sustainable societies, interdependent and eco dependent, free from all forms of oppression, in which the human rights of the peoples are respected and granted. The sustainability of life must be at the centre of their actions and their social and political constructions.  Every public demonstration is now necessary in support of those shared values and against the attacks on democracy and the peoples of Brazil!

Celebramos hoje, com todas as pessoas Amigas da Terra, a vitória de Luiz Inácio LULA da Silva no 2° turno das eleições presidenciais no Brasil. E as conclamamos, onde quer que estejam no planeta, a reconhecer a legitimidade do pleito eleitoral e seu resultado final e agir para que as instituições democráticas em todo o mundo assim o façam. Que estejam alertas e na proteção dos povos do nosso país contra qualquer possível ataque à Democracia, à estabilidade social, às instituições, organizações, movimentos sociais, territórios e comunidades que a defendem como bem comum da sociedade.

Como uma organização social gaúcha com quase seis décadas de atuação ininterrupta pela ecologia, pelos direitos humanos e pela soberania popular, e desde os anos 80 até os dias de hoje como único membro brasileiro da federação de Amigos da Terra Internacional, um movimento por justiça ambiental com grupos em 75 países, expressamos que:

Sobrevivemos como organização civil ao período da ditadura militar, que durou 21 anos, assim como ao golpe misógino à Presidenta Dilma em 2016. Amargamos quatro quase anos de Governo Bolsonaro, com sua política fascista, genocida, racista, sexista e desumana, testemunhando a banalização da morte de 700 mil pessoas por COVID. O projeto de morte deste governo, que finda em 31 de dezembro de 2022, esteve presente na gestão mal intencionada da pandemia e das políticas sociais e ambientais, no desrespeito aos povos indígenas e quilombolas, às mulheres e pessoas LGBTQIA+, aos sem terra e sem teto, à biodiversidade, à classe trabalhadora, à cultura popular, à ciência e à sustentabilidade da vida em todas as suas formas de expressão.

Nos posicionamos politicamente desde o início deste ano, e pela primeira vez na nossa história de forma tão nítida em um pleito eleitoral, em favor de uma única candidatura capaz de unificar uma frente ampla para a retomada e reconstrução democrática do país, representada por LULA, presidente eleito do Brasil que será empossado no dia 1º de janeiro de 2023.

Neste ano, apresentamos uma série de análises sobre o desmonte das políticas sociais e ambientais, alertas e denúncias aos ataques à democracia, assim como propostas a partir de uma perspectiva popular, feminista e por justiça ambiental que vimos refletidas e apropriadas pelas candidaturas ao legislativo e ao executivo no campo da esquerda e dos movimentos sociais que apoiamos e promovemos como representativas da nossa voz.

Com a vitória de LULA e de cada governo estadual e cadeira no parlamento que amplifica agora essa voz com diversidade, potência e responsabilidade de incidência, consulta e construção de propostas convergentes, deu-se início a um processo de virada, de vitória contra o ódio, as mentiras, as estratégias de manipulação das massas e os fundamentalismos religiosos que se consolidaram em nosso país desde 2016.

Sabemos que não será fácil e que precisaremos seguir na disputa por garantir, nesta retomada da democracia, nossas pautas e construções de práticas emancipatórias em curso nas alianças entre movimentos sociais do campo – das florestas, pampas, cerrados, caatingas e pantanais – e das cidades, frente a um governo de coalizão que se iniciará em 2023.

Estaremos com maior representatividade nos parlamentos para a construção e defesa de projetos de lei e de políticas voltadas ao interesse público, seja em âmbito estadual, nacional ou da política externa, seja comercial ou climática, cobrando primazia dos direitos humanos e dos povos sobre os lucros financeiros e empresariais .

No governo do Rio Grande do Sul, também com o apoio crucial da militância dos partidos de esquerda, sentimo-nos vitoriosos frente à derrota do candidato representante do fascismo e do Bolsonarismo. Assim mesmo, novamente nos colocamos em pé na resistência contra a continuidade do projeto ultraneoliberal e privatista no Estado, representado pelo governador reeleito Eduardo Leite.

Decidiram nos matar, mas decidimos não morrer e fazer parte desta história, que não termina aqui. Nos 60 dias que ainda restam do mandato do atual governo derrotado, enfrentaremos uma guerra simbólica e material. Na defesa desse projeto de reconstrução do país, além da esperança, contamos com a capacidade de organização e articulação popular, da unidade na diversidade dos povos e das forças políticas que têm um projeto de amor, humanidade e de respeito à vida.

Amigos da Terra Brasil
Porto Alegre, 31 de Outubro de 2022

Foto: Milhares de pessoas se reuniram na “festa da vitória” na Avenida Paulista, em São Paulo (SP), na noite de domingo (30/10/22), após o anúncio do resultado das eleições. Em primeiro plano, presidente eleito Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Crédito: Ricardo Stuckert

*Acesse esta nota em inglês em: http://www.amigosdaterrabrasil.org.br/2022/10/31/today-we-celebrate-the-return-of-democracy-against-fascism-in-brazil-lula-is-elected-president/

* Acesse esta nota em espanhol em: http://www.amigosdaterrabrasil.org.br/2022/10/31/celebramos-hoy-la-retomada-de-la-democracia-contra-el-fascismo-en-brasil-lula-elegido-presidente/

Today we celebrate with all the Friends of the Earth the victory of Luiz Inácio LULA da Silva in the 2nd round of the presidential elections in Brazil. We urge people everywhere on the planet to recognise the legitimacy of the election and its final result, as well as to act so that the democratic institutions all over the world do so. May they be alert in order to protect the people in our country against any possible attack on Democracy, social stability, the institutions, organisations, social movements, territories and communities which defend them as common goods of society.

As a social organisation from Rio Grande do Sul with almost six decades of ceaseless action for ecology, for human rights and popular sovereignty, and from the 80’s until now as the only Brazilian member of the federation Friends of the Earth International, a movement for environmental justice with groups in 75 countries, we hereby state that:

As a civil organisation, we survived the military dictatorship which lasted 21 years, as well as the misogynistic coup against President Dilma in 2016. We have suffered four years of Bolsonaro administration, with its fascist, genocide, racist, sexist and unhuman policies, witnessing the banalisation of the death of 700 thousand people by COVID. The deadly project of this government which ends on 31 December 2022 was present in the ill-intentioned management of the pandemic and the social and environmental policies, in the disrespect towards indigenous peoples and quilombolas, women and LGBTQIA+ people, landless and homeless people, biodiversity, the working class, popular culture, science and sustainability of life in all its forms of expression.

From the beginning of this year, we positioned ourselves politically, and for the first time in our history we did so very clearly in an electoral dispute in favour of the only candidate who could unify a wide front for retaking and rebuilding democracy in the country, represented by LULA, the elected president of Brazil, who will be inaugurated on the 1st of January, 2023.

This year we have presented a series of analyses on the dismantling of the social and environmental policies, as well as warnings and denounces of the attacks on democracy and proposals from a popular and feminist perspective for environmental justice which we have seen reflected and appropriated by candidates to legislative and executive positions in the left wing, and also by the social movements we support and promote as representative of our voice.

With the victory of LULA and each state government and parliament seat which now amplify our voice, diversity, potential and incidence responsibility, consultation and construction of convergent proposals, we are starting a new turning process in a victory against hatred, lies, strategies of mass manipulation and religious fundamentalism which have been consolidated in our country since 2016.

We know it will not be easy, and in this retaking of democracy we will need to keep fighting to establish our agendas of emancipation practices which are happening in the alliances between social movements in the countryside – forests, pampa fields, cerrado (savanna), caatinga (dry land) and pantanal (wetland) – and in the cities, with a coalition government which will start in 2023.

We will have now more representation in the parliament for elaborating and defending bills and policies which meet the public interest on state, national and international levels, both commercial and environmental, placing human rights and the rights of the peoples above financial and corporate profits.
In the government of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, also with the crucial support of the left wing militants, we feel victors with the defeat of the candidate who represents fascism and bolsonarism, yet we stand in resistance against the continuity of the ultra-neoliberal and privatising project in this state represented by re-elected governor Eduardo Leite.

They have decided to kill us, but we have decided not to die and be part of this history which does not end here. In the remaining 60 days of the present defeated administration, we will fight a symbolic and material war. In defence of this reconstruction project for the country, besides hope, we count on the ability for popular organisation and articulation, for the strength of unity in the diversity of the peoples and political forces which have a project of love, humanity and respect to life.

Friends of the Earth Brazil
Porto Alegre, 31 October 2022

Photo: Thousands of people gathered at the “victory party” at Avenida Paulista, in São Paulo (SP), on Sunday night (10/30/22), after the announcement of the election results. In the foreground, President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva/ Ricardo Stuckert