Browse the corpus

In early 2021, I published a Correspondence titled “SOS Brazil: science under attack”, 1 after being prosecuted and threatened for expressing my scientific disagreement with Brazil's monumental failure to respond to COVID-19.2 Despite the fact that all charges against me are now filed, the censorship movement is far from the end. One and a half years later, the situation has not got any better. Instead, Brazil is standing on the edge looking into the abyss, with its democracy at stake. In early June, 2022, a British journalist and a Brazilian Indigenous expert were reported missing in the Amazon rainforest, after the Indigenous expert's organisation reported being threatened for its fight against illegal mining and fishing in the Amazon.3 The attacks against the Amazon rainforest and Indigenous people are not new. In 2019, the Director of the National Spatial Research Institute, Ricardo Galvão, was exonerated after presenting and commenting on data on deforestation.4 In mid-2020, results from the EPICOVID-19 survey showing a high risk of COVID-19 among Indigenous people5 were censored in a Ministry of Health press conference.6 As of June 13, 2022, Brazil's cumulative COVID-19 mortality was 3122 deaths per million people, compared with a world average of 801 deaths per million people. This 3·9-fold difference illustrates the fact that Brazil is the country with the highest cumulative COVID-19 mortality out of the ten most populous countries in the world. Brazil also has the highest COVID-19 mortality among all BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China).

erage of 801 deaths per million people. This 3·9-fold difference illustrates the fact that Brazil is the country with the highest cumulative COVID-19 mortality out of the ten most populous countries in the world. Brazil also has the highest COVID-19 mortality among all BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China). Two events occurred during a presidential visit to the USA in June, 2022, that are important to help understand the magnitude of the risk faced by Brazilian people. First, it was released that President Bolsonaro asked US President Joe Biden for help in his re-election run.7 Second, a Brazilian fugitive was one of the stars of an event with the presidential entourage in Florida—many fans posted selfies with the fugitive. Most Brazilians are hoping for change, as the country is expected to face presidential elections later this year. However, the 2022 elections are subject to many risks. Since the 2018 election, President Bolsonaro has questioned the security of the very electronic voting system that elected him. Recently, the military has joined the President in questioning the security of Brazil's elections.8 The last time the military was this involved with elections in Brazil was to keep them from happening from 1967 to 1989. Not even the polls are free to be released. Recently, the release of the results of a poll that supposedly show former President Lula ahead of current President Bolsonaro has been cancelled after external pressure.9 Furthermore, it was announced that the formerly weekly poll will now be made monthly.

Most Brazilians are hoping for change, as the country is expected to face presidential elections later this year. However, the 2022 elections are subject to many risks. Since the 2018 election, President Bolsonaro has questioned the security of the very electronic voting system that elected him. Recently, the military has joined the President in questioning the security of Brazil's elections.8 The last time the military was this involved with elections in Brazil was to keep them from happening from 1967 to 1989. Not even the polls are free to be released. Recently, the release of the results of a poll that supposedly show former President Lula ahead of current President Bolsonaro has been cancelled after external pressure.9 Furthermore, it was announced that the formerly weekly poll will now be made monthly. More than ever, the Brazilian people should learn from the words of Martin Niemöller (1892–1984), a prominent Lutheran pastor in Germany. “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.” Brazil's democracy is under attack. The Brazilian people and people around the world must react while there is still time. For more on COVID-19 mortality see https://ourworldindata.org/covid-deaths For more about Niemöller see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Niemöller

More than ever, the Brazilian people should learn from the words of Martin Niemöller (1892–1984), a prominent Lutheran pastor in Germany. “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.” Brazil's democracy is under attack. The Brazilian people and people around the world must react while there is still time. For more on COVID-19 mortality see https://ourworldindata.org/covid-deaths For more about Niemöller see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Niemöller For more on COVID-19 mortality see https://ourworldindata.org/covid-deaths For more about Niemöller see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Niemöller