Brazil - 44.28
116
“If you turn into a crocodile, that’s your problem.” - Jair Bolsonaro
Brazil’s consistent backslide into the third-world has been nothing short of depressing. Brazil was at one point a promising developing nation, but today Brazil’s consistent corruption and political division holds the country back. Much of the rest of South America has passed Brazil up as the country continues to be plagued by worsening corruption, crime, and economic disparity. In recent years, a significant part of Brazil’s regression has been the result of President Jair Bolsonaro. A polarizing right-wing populist, Jair Bolsonaro has worked extensively to worsen political divides in Brazilian politics. Brazil’s persistent issue with corruption continues to worsen, as corruption permeates all levels of Brazilian government, including parliament. Additionally, Brazil is racked with crime. Cartels control entire towns in Brazil’s sparsely-populated Northwest and gangs control entire neighborhoods in most of Brazil’s major cities. The government’s attempts to eradicate these gangs have resulted in an increasinlgy brutal police force that regularly extrajudicially executes civilians. Brazil’s rebound is not immediately on the horizon. An upcoming presidential election in 2022 promises to bring yet more chaos as Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a former president of Brazil currently facing a corruption investigation, promises to run again. Lula and Bolsonaro have repeatedly attempted to undermine one another, damaging the credibility of Brazilian politics as a whole. Unfortunately for Brazil, there is little respite on the horizon as the country’s continuous mismanagement looks likely to continue.
Human Rights - 33
Third party groups flagrantly violate human rights often and regularly, limiting Brazil’s score to 50. Brazil has functionally abolished the death penalty; the last execution was carried out in 1866. Prisons sorely lack access to healthcare facilities; some prisons saw massive casualties from COVID as a result of a lack of healthcare infrastructure. Brazilian prisons had horrible conditions across the board as prisons across the country saw severe overcrowding and understaffing. Brazilian politicians frequently sick their supporters on dissenting journalists and encourage harassment campaigns, making Brazil a dangerous country for journalists to operate. Rural farmers have killed journalists for investigating attacks on indigenous people on several occasions. Brazil recently brought into effect previously unenforced junta-era security laws restricting freedom of speech. Four protestors were arrested for calling President Bolsonaro “genocidal” after a law criminalizing “endangering the President or heads of state” was brought back into effect after years of inactivity. The government tolerates illegal farming and mining on indigenous land. The recent Amazon wildfires were accidentally started by farmers using “slash and burn” techniques to illegally clear native land. Indigenous people are frequently displaced by these efforts. Police brutality is a rampant and systemic issue in Brazil. Brazilian police are known to use armored vehicles to destroy buildings during their raids. Police frequently employ the use of snipers, often to kill unarmed targets. Brazil’s brutal police tactics have created a vicious cycle of increasingly brutal criminals and police as criminals grow increasingly aggressive towards police. This often leads to non-brutal police in the country being killed in the line of duty or intimidated off of the force, leaving a police force consisting of almost entirely brutal officers. Compounding the issue is the fact that the Brazilian government is highly reluctant to investigate their own, leading to very high impunity for Brazilian police. Cartels control entire towns in Brazil’s Northwest, kidnapping and trafficking civilians without recourse. Civilians frequently get caught in the crossfire of cartel-cartel and cartel-police violence. Brazil guarantees a full gamut of LGBT rights. Abortion is legal to save the woman’s life and in cases of rape.
Democracy - 59
The president and congress are both directly elected in largely free and fair elections. However, outright slander and threats of assassination are both common during campaigns. The Social Liberal Party (PSL) controls the presidency while the Worker’s Party (PT) controls parliament. This frequently leads to political deadlock as the president and parliament work to undermine each other. Corruption is endemic in Brazilian parliament. MPs will switch party affiliations at a moment’s notice, often changing their entire ideology in the process. Parties will often purchase the loyalty of MPs in order to gain seats, which has on occasion led to bidding wars over critical MPs. Coalitions are usually fragile and short-lived. While Brazil has a strong multi-party system, party affiliation is fickle. The Bolsonaro administration threatens to not recognize the legitimacy of the 2022 elections if electronic voting is used. Bolsonaro has demanded that the legislation ban electronic voting and mandate paper ballots before the election. This comes notably after polls paint an unfavorable picture of Bolsonaro’s likelihood to win re-election. Paper ballots would make it difficult for Brasileiros in rural areas to vote, which is where most of the opposition’s support lives. Bolsonaro has gone on the record stating that “next year’s election will be a farce.”
Freedom - 69
Brazilian politicians frequently sick their supporters on dissenting journalists and encourage harassment campaigns, making Brazil a dangerous country for journalists to operate. Rural farmers have killed journalists for investigating attacks on indigenous people on several occasions. Brazil recently brought into effect previously unenforced junta-era security laws restricting freedom of speech. Four protestors were arrested for calling President Bolsonaro “genocidal” after a law criminalizing “endangering the President or heads of state” was brought back into effect after years of inactivity. Many journalists frequently self-censor for fear of retaliation. The possession of drugs for personal use is not punishable by jail time but rather community service, mandatory courses, or fines. However, the possession of drugs for distribution is punishable by jail time. This distinction is measured by amount in one’s possession, rather than one’s true intent. Brazil shall issue gun ownership licenses for semi-automatic rifles and handguns but is reluctant to issue concealed carry permits.
Economy - 64
Health - 61
Brazil has a life expectancy of 76 years and an infant mortality rate of 1.24%. 26.8% of Brazilians are obese and 2.5% are malnourished. Brazil’s criminally underfunded and understaffed SUS only provides care for 70% of the population and leaves many indigenous communities out to dry. 90% of Brasileiros have access to clean, running water. Brazil’s Amazon River Basin has issues with malaria.
Corruption - -10
Brazil is one of, if not the most, traditionally corrupt countries on Earth. Petty bribery permeates all levels of Brazilian society. Brazilian courts must be bribed into action. Courts will not meet unless bribed into doing so. Judicial verdicts are bought and sold at all levels (when court actually meets in the first place). From circuit courts up to the supreme court all of Brazil’s higher-level courts are subject to political influence. The Brazilian police force is systemically corrupt and often must be bribed into action. Public services must be bribed into action. The government willingly surrenders native land to oil, forestry, and mining companies. Land rights are not adequately protected in Brazil. Tax money is embezzled at almost all levels of Brazilian government. It is nearly impossible to cross Brazil’s land borders without paying a bribe. Brazil’s border patrol is known to harass migrants and extort bribes. The Petrobras corruption scandal (Operation Car Wash) remains ongoing. Many government officials were involved in a kickback scheme awarding contracts to construction firms which affected the stability of Brazil’s power grid. The Lula da Silva corruption investigation was botched at nearly all levels. Lula is almost certainly guilty of at least some of the crimes he was charged with, but the investigation was conducted without proper evidence., Lula was exonerated by the Supreme Court but the prosecutor general is now planning on re-suing to re-instate corruption charges. This has both political and democratic implications as Lula plans to attempt a return to the presidency in 2022. The Brazilian government has been accused of bribing the Olympic Committe to bring the Olympic Games to Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Brazil received a ten-point penalty for corruption interfering with the democratic process.
Competency - 3
Brazil had severe failings in its attempts to control COVID. Brazil had virtually no lockdown measures, and President Bolsonaro even encouraged people to spread the disease to gain immunity late into the pandemic. Bolsonaro is also openly antivax. Corruption is endemic at all levels of Brazilian society.
Future - 1
Corruption has been worsening in Brazil in recent years. Brazil’s 2022 presidential election is not likely to go well. Bolsonaro has already attempted to discredit the election and remove his main opposition from running. Brazil’s police force has become increasingly brutal, corrupt, and incompetent. Brazil’s already limited universal healthcare system has been in decline.
Actions Abroad - 70
Brazil gives large amounts of foreign aid to other countries, with Mozambique being the largest recipient of Brazilian foreign aid. Brazil provides military training for Angola and South Africa. Brazil has campaigned the IPCC along with Australia, Argentina, Russia, and Saudi Arabia to loosen climate change laws. The aim of this lobbying has been to loosen climate change laws restricting the beef, feed, petroleum, and natural gas industries.
4.5% of Brazilians live below the international poverty line and 9.5% live below the national poverty line. 14.7% of Brazilians are unemployed. Brazil has one of the highest economic disparities in the world, and it continues to worsen. The minimum wage in Brazil is $199 per month. Brazil’s universal healthcare system is weak. Only 70% of the population is covered by the Unified Health System (SUS), which is criminally underfunded and lacks trained personnel. Indigenous populations are especially lacking in adequate health coverage. A string of consecutive right-wing governments have further cut funding for the already underfunded SUS. The Brazilian economy shrunk 4.2% in 2020 and grew 1.2% in 2019.