Produção Nacional
Revisado por pares
SOS Brazil: democracy under attack
2022; Elsevier BV; Volume: 400; Issue: 10349 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/s0140-6736(22)01196-5
ISSN1474-547X
Autores Tópico(s)COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts
ResumoIn early 2021, I published a Correspondence titled "SOS Brazil: science under attack",1Hallal PC SOS Brazil: science under attack.Lancet. 2021; 397: 373-374Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (43) Google Scholar after being prosecuted and threatened for expressing my scientific disagreement with Brazil's monumental failure to respond to COVID-19.2Hallal PC Victora CG Overcoming Brazil's monumental COVID-19 failure: an urgent call to action.Nat Med. 2021; 27: 933Crossref PubMed Scopus (16) Google Scholar 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.3Nicas J Andreoni M British journalist and Indigenous expert are missing in Amazon after threats.https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/06/world/americas/dom-phillips-bruno-araujo-pereira-missing-amazon.htmlDate: June 6, 2022Date accessed: June 13, 2022Google Scholar 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.4Escobar H Brazilian institute head fired after clashing with nation's president over deforestation data.https://www.science.org/content/article/brazilian-institute-head-fired-after-clashing-nation-s-president-over-deforestationDate: Aug 4, 2019Date accessed: June 13, 2022Google Scholar In mid-2020, results from the EPICOVID-19 survey showing a high risk of COVID-19 among Indigenous people5Hallal PC Hartwig FP Horta BL et al.SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence in Brazil: results from two successive nationwide serological household surveys.Lancet Glob Health. 2020; 8: e1390-e1398Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (188) Google Scholar were censored in a Ministry of Health press conference.6Rodrigues M CPI: pesquisador diz que Saúde censurou slide que comparava casos de Covid por cada etnia.https://g1.globo.com/politica/cpi-da-covid/noticia/2021/06/24/cpi-pesquisador-diz-que-saude-censurou-slide-que-comparava-casos-de-covid-por-cada-etnia.ghtmlDate: June 24, 2021Date accessed: June 13, 2022Google ScholarAs 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).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.7BloombergBrazil's Bolsonaro asked Biden for re-election help against Lula.https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-11/brazil-s-bolsonaro-asked-biden-for-re-election-help-against-lulaDate: June 11, 2022Date accessed: June 13, 2022Google Scholar 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.8Nicas J Bolsonaro's new ally in questioning Brazil's elections: the military.https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/12/world/americas/brazil-election-bolsonaro-military.htmlDate: June 12, 2022Date accessed: June 13, 2022Google Scholar 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.9Bergamo M Sob pressão, XP cancela divulgação de pesquisa que dá vantagem de Lula sobre Bolsonaro.https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/colunas/monicabergamo/2022/06/sob-pressao-xp-cancela-divulgacao-de-pesquisa-que-da-vantagem-de-lula-sobre-bolsonaro.shtmlDate: 2022Date accessed: June 13, 2022Google Scholar 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-deathsFor more about Niemöller see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_NiemöllerI declare no competing interests. In early 2021, I published a Correspondence titled "SOS Brazil: science under attack",1Hallal PC SOS Brazil: science under attack.Lancet. 2021; 397: 373-374Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (43) Google Scholar after being prosecuted and threatened for expressing my scientific disagreement with Brazil's monumental failure to respond to COVID-19.2Hallal PC Victora CG Overcoming Brazil's monumental COVID-19 failure: an urgent call to action.Nat Med. 2021; 27: 933Crossref PubMed Scopus (16) Google Scholar 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.3Nicas J Andreoni M British journalist and Indigenous expert are missing in Amazon after threats.https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/06/world/americas/dom-phillips-bruno-araujo-pereira-missing-amazon.htmlDate: June 6, 2022Date accessed: June 13, 2022Google Scholar 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.4Escobar H Brazilian institute head fired after clashing with nation's president over deforestation data.https://www.science.org/content/article/brazilian-institute-head-fired-after-clashing-nation-s-president-over-deforestationDate: Aug 4, 2019Date accessed: June 13, 2022Google Scholar In mid-2020, results from the EPICOVID-19 survey showing a high risk of COVID-19 among Indigenous people5Hallal PC Hartwig FP Horta BL et al.SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence in Brazil: results from two successive nationwide serological household surveys.Lancet Glob Health. 2020; 8: e1390-e1398Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (188) Google Scholar were censored in a Ministry of Health press conference.6Rodrigues M CPI: pesquisador diz que Saúde censurou slide que comparava casos de Covid por cada etnia.https://g1.globo.com/politica/cpi-da-covid/noticia/2021/06/24/cpi-pesquisador-diz-que-saude-censurou-slide-que-comparava-casos-de-covid-por-cada-etnia.ghtmlDate: June 24, 2021Date accessed: June 13, 2022Google Scholar 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). 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.7BloombergBrazil's Bolsonaro asked Biden for re-election help against Lula.https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-11/brazil-s-bolsonaro-asked-biden-for-re-election-help-against-lulaDate: June 11, 2022Date accessed: June 13, 2022Google Scholar 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.8Nicas J Bolsonaro's new ally in questioning Brazil's elections: the military.https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/12/world/americas/brazil-election-bolsonaro-military.htmlDate: June 12, 2022Date accessed: June 13, 2022Google Scholar 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.9Bergamo M Sob pressão, XP cancela divulgação de pesquisa que dá vantagem de Lula sobre Bolsonaro.https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/colunas/monicabergamo/2022/06/sob-pressao-xp-cancela-divulgacao-de-pesquisa-que-da-vantagem-de-lula-sobre-bolsonaro.shtmlDate: 2022Date accessed: June 13, 2022Google Scholar 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-deathsFor more about Niemöller see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Niemöller For more on COVID-19 mortality see https://ourworldindata.org/covid-deathsFor 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 I declare no competing interests. SOS Brazil: science under attackAs of Jan 21, 2021, Brazil ranks second in number of deaths from COVID-19 and third in number of cases seen in any single country. As a scientist, I tend not to believe in coincidence. In March, 2020, President Jair Bolsonaro referred to COVID-19 as a "gripezinha",1 a little flu. In April, 2020, he declared there were signs the pandemic was coming to an end. A month later, when asked by journalists about the increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases, Bolsonaro responded "So what? What do you want me to do?"2 In response, the Editors3 suggested that "perhaps the biggest threat to Brazil's COVID-19 response is its president, Jair Bolsonaro". Full-Text PDF
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