Towels with the images of Brazilian presidential candidates Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are seen for sale on a street in Brasilia, on September 27, 2022. (Photo: Everisto Sa/AFP via Getty Images)
Oct 30, 2022
As Brazilians vote in Sunday's presidential runoff, democracy defenders are sounding the alarm over what many observers claim is widespread voter suppression by federal police in an attempt by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro to steal the election.
"We are facing a clear attempt to curtail people's right to vote. This only happens in dictatorships."
The campaign of Workers' Party (PT) challenger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva asked Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) to subpoena Silvinei Vasques, director-general of the Federal Highway Police (PRF), amid videos, photos, and reports--especially in the Northeast, a PT stronghold--of officers blocking highways and stopping buses transporting voters to polling places.
On Saturday, Alexandre de Moraes, who heads the TSE, banned PRF from conducting any operations relating to public transport until after Sunday's election. However, according to PRF figures reviewed by The Brazilian Report, routine vehicle searches soared by 80% Sunday compared with October 2, the date of the first-round vote.
De Moraes said Sunday that none of the voter bus surveillance operations--which, according to PRF involved traffic code violations--prevented people from voting, although he said there were delays in getting to the polls.
\u201cBrazil's US-installed fascist Bolsonaro regime is engaging in massive voter suppression in today's election\n\nThe military was deployed, police are blocking voters in pro-Lula strongholds, and public transportation has been disrupted\n\nBolsonaro is trying to steal the election\u201d— Ben Norton (@Ben Norton) 1667152246
However, PT politicians and supporters pointed to reporting by journalist Lauro Jardim claiming the PRF operation was planned at Bolsonaro's residence earlier this month, and a since-deleted Instagram post in which Vasques urged his followers to vote for Bolsonaro, as evidence of something more nefarious.
"I don't want to believe that it's an orchestrated action for the people not to go to vote, but it's happening at this exact moment, in the middle of Election Day, in a blitz by the Highway Patrol at the entrance to Cuite," Charles Camaraense, mayor of Cuite, a town of 20,000 inhabitants in the interior of the northeastern state of Paraiba, said on social media.
Camaraense described the action as a "blitz inhibiting people from going to vote... this is absurd what is happening."
\u201cOlha o absurdo. Mas soube que tem gente que desceu dos carros e foi a p\u00e9 votar no Lula. Esse \u00e9 o brasileiro.\u201d— Helena Chagas (@Helena Chagas) 1667155948
Sen. Humberto Costa (Pernambuco-PT) tweeted that "the illegal action orchestrated by the PRF in the Northeast was articulated in Jair Bolsonaro's own residence to prevent northeasterners from voting in the second round."
"We are facing a clear attempt to curtail people's right to vote," he continued. "This only happens in dictatorships."
Costa added: "So far, they have not been able to explain why the Northeast, which has 27% of the electorate, has received 50% of the PRF's operations today. While the Southeast, which has 42% of the electorate, only received 8% of PRF operations."
\u201c\ud83d\udea8WHY IT MATTERS\n\nThese controversial operations mostly hinder poorer voters, who tend to lean towards Lula according to polls.\u201d— The Brazilian Report (@The Brazilian Report) 1667144820
PT leader Gleisi Hoffman, who represents the state of Parana in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Brazil's Congress, tweeted that "this PRF operation was criminal."
"We are asking for an extension of voting in the more than 500 places where the operations took place. Prioritizing the Northeast region," she added. "Elections are won by voting, not by coups and crime."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
As Brazilians vote in Sunday's presidential runoff, democracy defenders are sounding the alarm over what many observers claim is widespread voter suppression by federal police in an attempt by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro to steal the election.
"We are facing a clear attempt to curtail people's right to vote. This only happens in dictatorships."
The campaign of Workers' Party (PT) challenger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva asked Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) to subpoena Silvinei Vasques, director-general of the Federal Highway Police (PRF), amid videos, photos, and reports--especially in the Northeast, a PT stronghold--of officers blocking highways and stopping buses transporting voters to polling places.
On Saturday, Alexandre de Moraes, who heads the TSE, banned PRF from conducting any operations relating to public transport until after Sunday's election. However, according to PRF figures reviewed by The Brazilian Report, routine vehicle searches soared by 80% Sunday compared with October 2, the date of the first-round vote.
De Moraes said Sunday that none of the voter bus surveillance operations--which, according to PRF involved traffic code violations--prevented people from voting, although he said there were delays in getting to the polls.
\u201cBrazil's US-installed fascist Bolsonaro regime is engaging in massive voter suppression in today's election\n\nThe military was deployed, police are blocking voters in pro-Lula strongholds, and public transportation has been disrupted\n\nBolsonaro is trying to steal the election\u201d— Ben Norton (@Ben Norton) 1667152246
However, PT politicians and supporters pointed to reporting by journalist Lauro Jardim claiming the PRF operation was planned at Bolsonaro's residence earlier this month, and a since-deleted Instagram post in which Vasques urged his followers to vote for Bolsonaro, as evidence of something more nefarious.
"I don't want to believe that it's an orchestrated action for the people not to go to vote, but it's happening at this exact moment, in the middle of Election Day, in a blitz by the Highway Patrol at the entrance to Cuite," Charles Camaraense, mayor of Cuite, a town of 20,000 inhabitants in the interior of the northeastern state of Paraiba, said on social media.
Camaraense described the action as a "blitz inhibiting people from going to vote... this is absurd what is happening."
\u201cOlha o absurdo. Mas soube que tem gente que desceu dos carros e foi a p\u00e9 votar no Lula. Esse \u00e9 o brasileiro.\u201d— Helena Chagas (@Helena Chagas) 1667155948
Sen. Humberto Costa (Pernambuco-PT) tweeted that "the illegal action orchestrated by the PRF in the Northeast was articulated in Jair Bolsonaro's own residence to prevent northeasterners from voting in the second round."
"We are facing a clear attempt to curtail people's right to vote," he continued. "This only happens in dictatorships."
Costa added: "So far, they have not been able to explain why the Northeast, which has 27% of the electorate, has received 50% of the PRF's operations today. While the Southeast, which has 42% of the electorate, only received 8% of PRF operations."
\u201c\ud83d\udea8WHY IT MATTERS\n\nThese controversial operations mostly hinder poorer voters, who tend to lean towards Lula according to polls.\u201d— The Brazilian Report (@The Brazilian Report) 1667144820
PT leader Gleisi Hoffman, who represents the state of Parana in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Brazil's Congress, tweeted that "this PRF operation was criminal."
"We are asking for an extension of voting in the more than 500 places where the operations took place. Prioritizing the Northeast region," she added. "Elections are won by voting, not by coups and crime."
As Brazilians vote in Sunday's presidential runoff, democracy defenders are sounding the alarm over what many observers claim is widespread voter suppression by federal police in an attempt by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro to steal the election.
"We are facing a clear attempt to curtail people's right to vote. This only happens in dictatorships."
The campaign of Workers' Party (PT) challenger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva asked Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) to subpoena Silvinei Vasques, director-general of the Federal Highway Police (PRF), amid videos, photos, and reports--especially in the Northeast, a PT stronghold--of officers blocking highways and stopping buses transporting voters to polling places.
On Saturday, Alexandre de Moraes, who heads the TSE, banned PRF from conducting any operations relating to public transport until after Sunday's election. However, according to PRF figures reviewed by The Brazilian Report, routine vehicle searches soared by 80% Sunday compared with October 2, the date of the first-round vote.
De Moraes said Sunday that none of the voter bus surveillance operations--which, according to PRF involved traffic code violations--prevented people from voting, although he said there were delays in getting to the polls.
\u201cBrazil's US-installed fascist Bolsonaro regime is engaging in massive voter suppression in today's election\n\nThe military was deployed, police are blocking voters in pro-Lula strongholds, and public transportation has been disrupted\n\nBolsonaro is trying to steal the election\u201d— Ben Norton (@Ben Norton) 1667152246
However, PT politicians and supporters pointed to reporting by journalist Lauro Jardim claiming the PRF operation was planned at Bolsonaro's residence earlier this month, and a since-deleted Instagram post in which Vasques urged his followers to vote for Bolsonaro, as evidence of something more nefarious.
"I don't want to believe that it's an orchestrated action for the people not to go to vote, but it's happening at this exact moment, in the middle of Election Day, in a blitz by the Highway Patrol at the entrance to Cuite," Charles Camaraense, mayor of Cuite, a town of 20,000 inhabitants in the interior of the northeastern state of Paraiba, said on social media.
Camaraense described the action as a "blitz inhibiting people from going to vote... this is absurd what is happening."
\u201cOlha o absurdo. Mas soube que tem gente que desceu dos carros e foi a p\u00e9 votar no Lula. Esse \u00e9 o brasileiro.\u201d— Helena Chagas (@Helena Chagas) 1667155948
Sen. Humberto Costa (Pernambuco-PT) tweeted that "the illegal action orchestrated by the PRF in the Northeast was articulated in Jair Bolsonaro's own residence to prevent northeasterners from voting in the second round."
"We are facing a clear attempt to curtail people's right to vote," he continued. "This only happens in dictatorships."
Costa added: "So far, they have not been able to explain why the Northeast, which has 27% of the electorate, has received 50% of the PRF's operations today. While the Southeast, which has 42% of the electorate, only received 8% of PRF operations."
\u201c\ud83d\udea8WHY IT MATTERS\n\nThese controversial operations mostly hinder poorer voters, who tend to lean towards Lula according to polls.\u201d— The Brazilian Report (@The Brazilian Report) 1667144820
PT leader Gleisi Hoffman, who represents the state of Parana in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Brazil's Congress, tweeted that "this PRF operation was criminal."
"We are asking for an extension of voting in the more than 500 places where the operations took place. Prioritizing the Northeast region," she added. "Elections are won by voting, not by coups and crime."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.