Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticizes Brazil’s President Lula for ties to dictatorships and inconsistent human rights policies.
HRW says Lula ignores rights abuses in Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and China. These are countries Brazil is getting close to.
Brazil aims to lead the UN Human Rights Council in October. Lula’s ties with Russia and China raise concerns in the West.
He has reportedly already lost clout in environmental issues and may also lose it in human rights.
HRW notes that Lula supports Russia, which is at war in Ukraine. He also defends Venezuela’s leader Nicolás Maduro, who is accused of killing and causing famine.
Lula has made conflicting statements on dictatorships. For example, he called Venezuela’s situation “just a story.”
He says human rights will be key in his third term, but HRW doubts it.
Lula will attend the G77 Summit in Cuba, hosted by Miguel Díaz-Canel. This group includes some of the world’s least democratic countries.
HRW urges Brazil to lead in human rights. It asks for a fair approach, not influenced by politics.
HRW also talks about Brazil’s role in the UN Council. It could help other countries make strong human rights commitments.
This comes after the 15th BRICS Summit, where six non-democratic countries joined.
HRW criticizes Brazil for not speaking against China’s abuse of the Uighur minority. It also calls for responsibility in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
This isn’t the first time HRW has taken a stand on international human rights. The organization has a history of scrutinizing global policies.
It has repeatedly called out the United States, Russia, and China.