Harassment and retaliation to critical opinions about Bolsonaro’s government
Between 2019 and 2020, under the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro, a series of episodes were registered at the political level: dismissals and transfers of civil servants that occupied positions under the direction of the Executive Branch. The reasons are generally unclear, but the consequences often range from interference in the performance of agencies and bodies, ideological guidance of their actions, expansion of the militarization or the undermining of public policies that were previously adopted. Some cases even seem to be linked to the monitoring of civil servants’ opinions or retaliation due to critical positions towards the Bolsonaro Administration.
Professionals in the fields of education, culture, health, and the environment are among those affected by the instability in their positions. Here are some of the cases that have already occurred and President Bolsonaro comments on this issue. See more details below.
Leias as análises sobre a gestão de Fernando de Noronha inspirada em práticas internacionais, o histórico de demissões por discordância com o governo e as decisões da gestão que fragilizam o controle ambiental.
Read more about Bolsonaro government environmental policy here [1] and about this episode – in Portuguese [find out here]
Read more about EBC, the Brazilian Communications Company, here [1], remember other exonerations due to disagreements with Bolsonaro [find out here] [find out here], and read more about this episode here – in Portuguese [find out here]
Read more about the militarization of public environmental protection agencies here [1] and remember about the number of military officers in environmental bodies here [find out here], which folllows a trend in the executive branch in general [find out here]
Read more about it here [1]
Read more about other exonerations due to disagreements between Bolsonaro and other public agents here [find out here] [find out here]
Read more about it here [1]
Read more about it here – in Portuguese [1] [find out here]
Acts that employ tools of constant authoritarian reinvention. Authoritarian manifestations that coexist with the democratic regime and affect democracy as a system of choice of legitimate representatives or as institutional dynamics that protect rights and guarantee pluralism.
Acts justified by tackling the covid-19 pandemic or another emergency. Under the democratic constitutional regime, emergency acts must respect the Constitution and protect the rights to life and health. Even so, because they create exceptional restrictions related to the health crisis, they require constant control over their necessity, proportionality and temporal limitation. In the long run, they demand attention so as not to become an anti-democratic 'new normal' beyond the moment of emergency.