South America's largest nation plunges into dictatorship - Editorial

Brazil, the largest nation in South America, is plunging into a dictatorship. People are being summarily arrested for ideological and political dissent. Due process is gone, democracy and freedom of speech were also ditched. The left, corporate media, and social platforms love what is going on. The others, who were blatantly termed as "animals that need to be extirpated" by the current anointed President, live in an ever-growing spiral of fear.

The incumbent President, once arrested and serving time because of large scale corruption sentence, was taken out of prison by judges appointed by himself.  The same judges rubberstamped his dodgy election. Following his shoddy shunt back to power, he now openly states that is proud to be a communist, in line with his long association with leftist dictatorships in Latin America.

A new set of laws was put forward for the legislative by the President on Friday, June 21st during a ceremony, and may be approved by Brazil's legislature. If it becomes law, those who criticize the anointed government will have their wealth and property impounded and face several years of prison. Although part of this law states that it will apply to those who damage Union assets, this is only to legalize what is already being done to people who dare to speak and write or organize against the status quo, thereby committing “crimes against democracy”.

The punishments imposed on offenders is included in one of the bills and amends the Penal Code to provide for increased penalties for “crimes against the democratic rule of law”. The text provides for the following prison sentences:

• From six to 12 years for those who organize or lead "anti-democratic movements";
• From eight to 20 years for those who finance "anti-democratic movements";
• From six to 12 years, plus a penalty corresponding to violence, for crimes that attack the physical integrity and freedom of the president and vice-president of the republic, the president of the Senate, the president of the Chamber of Deputies, the ministers of the Supreme Court and the attorney general of the republic, with the aim of altering "the democratic constitutional order"; and
• From 20 to 40 years for crimes against the lives of the above-mentioned authorities, to alter the "democratic constitutional order".

It is worthy to note that the Biden administration is directly involved in the rise of the current dictatorship in Brazil and, this fact alone begs serious investigation.  These facts must reach all who care for democracy and human rights.