RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On the eve of the September 7th demonstrations called by the President of the Republic, Jair Bolsonaro, and his supporters, former presidents, intellectuals, parliamentarians, and ministers from 26 countries are warning against the risk of the acts creating “a possible insurrection” that “will endanger democracy in Brazil.” The concern over “a coup d’état” is formalized in a letter released on Monday, 6.
“At this moment, President Jair Bolsonaro and his allies – including white supremacist groups, the military police, and public officials at all levels of government – are preparing a national march against the Supreme Court and Congress on September 7, increasing fears of a coup d’état in the world’s third-largest democracy,” the document claims.
The text stresses that international authorities are watching events in Brazil closely and will not tolerate any democratic breakdown. “We are deeply concerned about the imminent threat to Brazil’s democratic institutions – and we will be vigilant in defending them before and after September 7. The Brazilian people have fought for decades to secure democracy against military rule. We must not allow Bolsonaro to take them away now.”
The document says “on August 10, Bolsonaro organized an unprecedented military parade through the capital, Brasilia, and his allies in Congress pushed for radical reforms to the country’s electoral system, widely considered one of the most trusted in the world. Bolsonaro and his government have – repeatedly – threatened to cancel the 2022 presidential election if Congress fails to pass these reforms.”
The document was released Monday morning by Progressive International, an international organization uniting and mobilizing progressive left-wing activists and organizations founded by Bernie Sanders and Yanis Varoufakis.
Formally founded and launched on 11 May 2020 amidst the global Coronavirus pandemic, the International claims to counter what it calls the resurgence of authoritarian nationalism worldwide as well as the rise of disaster capitalism.