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On Monday (18/07), President Jair Bolsonaro organized a meeting with ambassadors in the capital to criticize the electronic voting machines and the Brazilian electoral process. During his speech, once more, the head of Executive power made accusations, without evidence, about the security and reliability of the electoral system. He also criticized the Federal Supreme Court (STF) and the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).
Motivation
Bolsonaro decided to meet with ambassadors after Minister Edson Fachin held a meeting with some diplomatic representatives and, according to the president, attacked the Presidency of the Republic indirectly. He even called the minister’s initiative a “rape of democracy”.
Responses
Soon after the meeting with ambassadors in Brasília, Superior Electoral Court President Edson Fachin made a speech in response. He asked for ‘the disinformation and authoritarian populism to stop’.
Several other politicians and institutions also released their views on the event. Congress President Rodrigo Pacheco and presidential candidates condemned Bolsonaro’s statements to ambassadors. Three associations of Federal Police employees – ADPF, APCF and Fenadepol – issued on Tuesday (19/07) a joint note expressing confidence in electronic voting machines and stating that no evidence of fraud was ever presented against the system.
On Wednesday (20/07), the Union of State Intelligence Professionals of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) also release a notice to “expresses its confidence in the Brazilian electoral process”.
On Tuesday (19/07), more than 40 prosecutors from the Federal Public Ministry requested the Attorney General of the Republic, Augusto Aras to investigate President Jair Bolsonaro because of the criticisms without evidence against the country’s electoral system. Aras released a video in support of the system on Thursday (21/07).
Lawsuit
On Tuesday (19/07), a group of federal deputies from the opposition asked the Federal Supreme Court (STF) that Bolsonaro be investigated due to the attacks without evidence he made on electronic voting machines and the Electoral Justice. They argue that the president committed administrative impropriety, abuse of political and economic power, a crime against the Democratic State and made early electoral propaganda.
EUA and UK
The day after President Jair Bolsonaro meeting with ambassador, the US Embassy in Brasília released a statement in which it says that the elections in Brazil are a “model” for the world. After the United States declaration, the British embassy reaffirmed its confidence in electronic voting machines and in the security of the October elections.
A Future Meeting
Bolsonaro mentioned that he will make a new invitation to some authorities who were not present at the meeting and that he will also call members of the Senate and the Federal Chamber.
