In an open letter, Fenaj defends Lula's election to restore democracy and the rights of the working class.
The National Federation of Journalists cited an increase in violence against media professionals and attempts to attack the rights won by the profession under the Bolsonaro government.
247 - A National Federation of Journalists (Fenaj) published an open letter this Friday (14) criticizing Jair Bolsonaro's (PL) management of the country's presidency and defending the election of former president Lula (PT), claiming that the PT candidate represents "the only candidacy that is committed to rights and civilizational achievements."
Among the criticisms of Jair Bolsonaro, Fenaj listed, as characteristics of his government, authoritarianism, necropolitics, patronage, corruption, close ties with militias, economic ultraliberalism, and the dismantling of social justice policies. "We arrived in 2022 with 33 million people without food at home and with the shameful return of the country to the Hunger Map. Brazil ranked third in the number of deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic," it added.
The organization also mentioned Bolsonaro's aggressive stance against journalism, hindering the work of media professionals, and the increase in cases of violence against journalists in recent years: "The president continues to disseminate fraudulent information, limiting and blocking access to official data and violating the Access to Information Law (...) numbers from our annual report make this situation clear: we went from 135 attacks in 2018 to 430 in 2021!"
"With Bolsonaro in government, there are three times more attacks on journalists than there were before. It's more than one a day! Since he became President, he has been the main aggressor: in 2021, Bolsonaro committed 147 attacks on journalists, 34% of the national total. Adding the people around him, including his sons, federal public officials and his supporters, Bolsonarism accounts for 70% of the cases of violence recorded against the category last year," the letter adds.
Finally, Fenaj defended Lula's election so that the country can overcome this moment of regression in democracy and freedom of the press: "We need to put an end to this government that operates through hatred and lies. And that is why, in this second round of the presidential elections, we defend voting for Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), the only candidate who is committed to rights and civilizational achievements."
Check out the full open letter from Fenaj:
Elect Lula to rescue democracy and the rights of the working class.
The National Federation of Journalists (FENAJ), the highest representative body for the profession in the country, once again addresses journalists and society, urging each and every one to definitively embrace social justice, national sovereignty, the rights of the working class, freedom of expression and of the press, and democracy.
In our 76 years of operation, we have never shied away from fulfilling our role beyond class representation. During the civil-military dictatorship, while class organizations and journalistic companies capitulated to the authoritarian logic, we strived to liberate and guarantee the lives of journalists and Brazilian citizens.
Just as we were one of the first professional organizations to denounce the coup against President Dilma Rousseff in 2016, two years later we were already announcing that the egg of the neo-fascist serpent was being hatched among us.
We have always questioned the Bolsonaro government and everything it represents: authoritarianism, necropolitics, cronyism, corruption, close ties to militias, economic ultraliberalism, and the dismantling of social justice policies. Our values have always been opposed to it.
We arrived in 2022 with 33 million people without food at home and with the shameful return of the country to the Hunger Map. Brazil ranked third in the number of deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Over the past four years, public policies and monitoring systems have been disrupted, budgets cut, and spaces for popular participation rendered unviable or eliminated. Today we have less transparency and increasingly less trust in the government.
There was encouragement to liberalize gun ownership and militarize civilian spaces. Consequently, violence increased, especially against girls and women, young Black people, quilombola communities, Indigenous peoples, and the LGBTQIA+ population.
The federal government's repeated attacks on human rights and institutions, such as the judiciary (including the Supreme Court) and the press, constitute a scenario of regression in freedom of expression and of the press. The president continues to disseminate fraudulent information, limiting and blocking access to official data and violating the Access to Information Law.
In this context, we highlight the direct attacks on journalists and media outlets, with the constant attempt to discredit the press. Since 2019, journalists have been attacked primarily by the head of state in Brazil. The numbers in our annual report clearly illustrate this situation: we went from 135 attacks in 2018 to 430 in 2021!
With Bolsonaro in government, there are three times more attacks on journalists than before. That's more than one a day! Since taking office, he has been the main aggressor: in 2021, Bolsonaro committed 147 attacks on journalists, 34% of the national total. Adding those around him, including his sons, federal public officials, and his supporters, Bolsonarism accounts for 70% of the cases of violence registered against the category last year.
In addition to the institutionalization of violence against the profession, there are attacks on hard-won rights through Provisional Measures 905/2019 (which proposed to end professional registration) and 1045/2021 (which sought to make our special work schedule more flexible) – both defeated by the mobilization of FENAJ and its 31 affiliated unions.
We cannot forget the dismantling of Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) through the current federal government's manipulation of its apparatus, censorship, and the persecution of union leaders.
We need to put an end to this government that operates through hatred and lies. And that is why, in this second round of the presidential elections, we advocate voting for Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), the only candidate committed to rights and civilizational achievements.
Hope will conquer fear, violence, and hatred.
Journalism will triumph over misinformation and lies.
Democracy will triumph over authoritarianism.
Brasilia, October 14, 2022
National Federation of Journalists – FENAJ
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