Anielle Franco, the sister of late Rio city councillor Marielle Franco – who was murdered in March of this year – has spoken out about the president-elect’s view on Brazil’s minorities.
Speaking to news agency AFP in Paris this week, Franco’s sister commented on the electoral violence that surged during this year’s electoral voting period as well as during the build-up to the elections.
“Since Sunday we have had so many cases of violence – people who are screaming at each other in the face, hitting people,” Anielle told the news agency.
Indeed, the electoral voting period saw spats break out between rival supporters, with some photographed arguing – often violently – in the streets. Speaking to Brazil Reports, Rio de Janeiro’s UFF Professor Carlos Serra also reported incidences of verbal abuse that occurred between rival Bolsonaro/ Haddad supporters in the streets and public places.
In his first post-victory interview, the president-elect hinted at the fact he believed that minorities should not receive treatment any different than the rest of the population, despite the fact that Brazil’s minorities automatically find themselves in a highly marginalised position.
“We’re all the same… It doesn’t matter what the colour of your skin is, your sexual preference, the region where you were born, your gender. We’re all equal … We can’t take certain minorities and think they have superpowers and are different from the others,” he told Jornal da Record.
Since his election victory, members of the country’s population have taken to the streets to articulate their intentions to resist any policies that will limit their freedom.
Image courtesy of @tomphillipsin – Twitter.
Chants of “we will resist” and “not him” resounded from the streets of São Paulo and other major Brazilian cities last week as groups of society who feel threatened by the views of the new president-elect exercised their right to protest.
Speaking to The Guardian, 19-year-old trans woman Nina Gabrielle told the newspaper she felt “smothered,” as she walked the streets with a poster that read “fight like a trans girl.” “He preaches hatred … [and] his supporters are attacking the LGBT community. So we are here to fight. Resisting to exist!”
Anielle Franco’s sister Marielle was one of the few black, gay city councillors working in Rio de Janeiro’s Municipal Chamber, who stood for the rights of the most marginalised members of Brazilian society. She spoke out against Military Police violence and targeting of favela communities, whom she believed were unfairly targeted by authorities.
At last week’s Human Rights World Summit, Anielle described the groups she believes could now be at risk under a Bolsonaro presidency given comments he has made throughout his career. “Bolsonaro said he is going to ‘clean’ – that’s the way he said it – homosexuals, poor people and black people.”
“We are very scared and in danger,” she said.
