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Brazil

https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/

August 2024

Social media platform X is blocked in Brazil

Social media platform X has been blocked in Brazil, following tension with the country’s Federal Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal, STF). The legal controversy began when Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered X to block certain users linked to the spread of misinformation related to the January 2023 riot, in which supporters of former President Bolsonaro stormed the presidential palace, Congress, and STF. Elon Musk, the company’s owner, refused, arguing that the orders constituted censorship. After the company decided to close its local office, Moraes ordered X to appoint a new legal representative in Brazil, as mandated by the “Internet Bill of Rights” law, an order the company did not comply with. Consequently, an STF five-judge panel upheld the platform’s ban, citing non-compliance with local regulations. Additionally, it established large fines for citizens who attempt to bypass the restriction using VPNs. Some experts argue that the STF's actions were justified and set a positive precedent for holding tech companies accountable to the laws of the countries in which they operate. Musk and other critics have accused the judiciary of suppressing free speech. The far-right opposition is preparing to request Moraes's impeachment in the Senate.

Sources:  The Conversation, Agência Pública, The Guardian, Senado Brazil, International IDEA (1), International IDEA (2), Internet Steering Committee in Brazil

July 2024

Lula restores Commission that investigates political disappearances under the dictatorship

Brazil's President Lula has reinstated the Special Commission on Political Deaths and Disappearances, dismantled during Jair Bolsonaro’s administration. Bolsonaro had declared the Commission's work as complete, dismissing the ongoing demands of victims' families. This move, fulfilling a campaign promise, renews the Commission's mission to investigate and identify victims of the military dictatorship (1964-85).  The Commission will also consider recognizing new groups, such as rural workers and Indigenous people, who have not yet been individually acknowledged as victims of state violence. Human rights groups had urged Lula to restore the Commission, which was originally established in 1995 to locate people who were forcefully disappeared during the last dictatorship and compensate their families. The decision has been praised as crucial for memory, truth, and justice efforts.

Sources: Vermelho, Bonde, Jornal de Brasilia, Pagina 12

June 2024

Brazil decriminalises marijuana possession for personal use

On 25 June, Brazil's Supreme Court (STF) decriminalised the possession of up to 40 grams of marijuana for personal use, completing a legal process that began in 2015. The decision characterizes marijuana possession as an illicit act, but without criminal penalties, and sets a limit of 40 grams or six cannabis plants for personal cultivation. Previous legislation relied on judges, prosecutors, and police to define the quantity that would differentiate a consumer from a trafficker. Such decision-making often led to a racial bias where white and Black individuals with the same amount of drugs were characterized differently. The ruling has general effects for all cases within the Brazilian judiciary, providing thousands of individuals, many of whom are Black and poor and have been disproportionately affected by previous regulations, with an opportunity to appeal their sentences. The decision aims to address the country's overcrowded prison system, which has seen its population triple since 2000, and to reduce racial and economic biases in law enforcement.  The decision has been criticised in Brazil’s Congress for its content and for the manner in which it was approved which was seen as a overreach of the STF.

Sources:  El Pais, Le Monde, Brasil de fato, Pagina 12, Globo, Camara dos deputados Brazil

May 2024

Climate Change and infrastructure failures exacerbated deadly floods

Between 24 April and 4 May, historic floods devastated southern Brazil, particularly affecting Rio Grande do Sul. This catastrophe, intensified by climate change and the El Niño phenomenon, left over 90 per cent of the state underwater, displaced more than 580,000 people, and caused 172 deaths, with dozens still missing. The floods overwhelmed infrastructure, leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity or water and disrupting essential services. A team of researchers from various countries concluded that human-caused climate change made the intense rainfall event twice as likely and 6-9 per cent more severe. Additionally, the federal and local governments’ poor disaster preparedness and inadequate maintenance of flood protection infrastructure exacerbated the impact. Despite early warnings from the National Meteorologist Institute (Inmet), communication failures and insufficient investment in flood defences contributed to the disaster's severity, which affected heavily marginalised sectors such as Indigenous and Quilombo communities. 

Sources: North American Congress on Latin America, El Pais, World Weather Attribution, Midia Ninja, Globo

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Global ranking per category of democratic performance in 2023

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Representation
42/173
Rights
63/173
Rule of Law
53/173
Participation
4/173
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Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
216 422 446
System of government
Presidential system
Head of government
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (since 2023)
Head of government party
Workers' Party (PT)
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
List Proportional Representation
Women in lower or single chamber
17.5%
Women in upper chamber
17,3%
Last legislative election
2022
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
12.34
Head of state
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Selection process for head of state
Direct election (two-round majority)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
14/11/2022
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
99,35%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
State Party
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
No Action
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
State Party
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
No Action
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
Regional Treaties
American Convention on Human Rights
State Party
Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
in
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Performance by category over the last 6 months

Representation neutral Representation
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Representation neutral Rights
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Representation neutral Rule of law
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Representation neutral Participation
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Global State of Democracy Indices

Hover over the trend lines to see the exact data points across the years

Explore the indices
Representation
Representation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
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/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

Use the slider below to see how democratic performance has changed over time

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