São Paulo, Brazil (October 31, 2022)–In response to the Brazilian Elections, Carolina Pasquali, Executive Director of Greenpeace Brazil said:
“The stakes for the climate emergency, human rights, biodiversity, and democracy could not have been higher. In choosing between two starkly different candidates, Brazilians chose not only democracy, but also the candidate who said he would pursue a greener and more just Brazil.
“The challenges that the Lula government will face in rebuilding everything that was dismantled or weakened by the outgoing government will not be trivial. The last four years have led to record forest destruction and impunity for illegal miners, land grabbers, and loggers. In addition, a large portion of the incoming Brazilian congress supports the agenda of destruction and disrespect for human rights characteristic of the last four years.
“Greenpeace Brazil is looking forward to pursuing the protection of nature (including zero deforestation), human rights, food sovereignty, and the advancement of science under a government that has claimed commitments to such values during the campaign.”
ENDS
Greenpeace Brazil’s full statement in Portuguese on Brazilian Elections. English version below.
Contact: Diego Gonzaga, Greenpeace International Amazon Communications, [email protected], +1 415 527 9440
It is time to rebuild Brazil
Greenpeace Brazil affirms its commitment to democracy and the environment
This past Sunday (30) Democracy won in Brazil. With 50.9% of the valid votes, Worker’s Party candidate Luiz Inácio da Silva, “Lula,” was democratically elected Brazil’s next president and Greenpeace Brazil welcomes the results. Any challenges to the results of the election represent a disrespect to the sovereignty of the Brazilian people and should be strongly confronted. Therefore, we affirm the importance of the Brazilian democratic procedures and value the institutions that guarantee the integrity, accessibility, and credibility of this electoral process.
The challenges that this elected government will face are not trivial and will demand the rebuilding of everything that was dismantled or weakened by the current government. Also, we know that a good part of the incoming Brazilian congress will continue to present threats to the environment and human rights. It is critical that the commitments made by Lula during the campaign become concrete plans.
It is time to look to the future with hope for the agenda that Brazilians want for Brazil. Greenpeace Brazil considers the following to be the most urgent priorities for the next government:
- Rebuild the environmental policies and capacity for monitoring, preserving, and restoring our forests and other environments;
- Guarantee the rights, territories and protection of Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities;
- Guarantee the production, distribution, and access for Brazilians to real food, at a fair price, and free of poisonous chemicals;
- Restore spaces for civil society participation and maintain a dialogue with social movements;
- Restore the scientific bodies that research and monitor critical environmental questions such as the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the renowned Brazilian Space Agency (INPE).
We can say with pride that since Greenpeace Brazil’s founding 30 years ago, we have maintained our support for democracy as well as political independence throughout the mandates of previously elected presidents Itamar Franco, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Dilma Rousseff, Michel Temer e Jair Bolsonaro. We will continue acting in the same way in 2023, monitoring and exposing any threats and pressuring governments and corporations to take ambitious and just actions for the environment and the climate.
Together with millions of Brazilians, let’s continue in the direction of a more respectful, greener and fairer nation, one where democracy flourishes.
Greenpeace Brazil
