Lula subjects the sovereignty of Brazil to dictatorships and ends the rule of law

(Interamerican Institute for Democracy) Using his condition as President of Brazil, Lula da Silva has subjected the sovereignty of his country to dictatorships who violate human rights. His ill-conceived actions to favor dictatorships from Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, violate Article 4 of Brazil’s constitution that pinpoints as its principles for foreign affairs “the national independence, the prevalence of human rights, the rejection of terrorism and racism…” factors that end the “rule of law” an essential component of democracy.

Article 4 of Brazil’s constitution mandates: “The Federative Republic of Brazil, in the conduct of its foreign affairs is governed by the following principles: 1. Its national independence; 2. The prevalence of human rights; 3. The self-determination of the peoples; 4. Non-intervention; 5. The equality of States; 6. The defense of peace; 7. The peaceful solution of conflicts; 8. The rejection of terrorism and racism; 9. Cooperation between the peoples for humanity’s progress; 10. The granting of political asylum.”

Beyond this, democracy in Brazil is governed by the Interamerican Democratic Charter, the constitutive treaty that in its Article 3, establishes: “Essential components of a representative democracy, amongst others, are; the respect for human rights and basic individual freedoms, access to the government and the discharge of its duties subject to the rule of law, the conducting of periodic, free, fair elections that are based on universal suffrage concepts of secrecy as an expression of the people’s sovereignty, a regime of plurality of political parties and organizations, and the separation and independence of the branches of government.

It is understood by “the rule of law, that society which is politically organized wherein those who govern are subject to the law and not inversely, reason why the law governs all the people and no one is above the law,” the United Nations further defines it: “The Rule of Law is the principle of governance in which the people, institutions, public and private entities -including the State itself- are governed by, and accountable to, laws that are publicly promulgated, are equally enforced, are objectively applied with independence and, moreover, are compatible with international standards, principles, and guidelines on the subject of human rights.”

Lula da Silva has modified Brazil’s foreign policy supplanting the competences of its office of Foreign Affairs to replace them by his “Special Advisor” Celso Amorim who he uses as Chancellor, Ambassador, Plenipotentiary Minister, and extraordinary operator to benefit the dictatorships from Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and to maintain the simulation of democracy of Bolivia’s dictatorship.

Before assuming the presidency, Lula da Silva had already announced the reopening of relations with, and accreditation of, Venezuela’s dictatorship. Cuba and Venezuela are Brazil’s delinquent debtors and Lula seeks “to expand trade relations.” Lula has established an alliance with China, Russia, and Iran, turning Brazil into a main operator of the 21st Century Socialism -or Castrochavism- under Cuba’s command.

Lula convened the meeting of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR in Spanish) to greet Nicolas Maduro, the dictator from Venezuela with an outstanding international arrest warrant for narcotics’ trafficking, labeling a “narrative” the proven crimes of violation of human rights and crimes against humanity, committed by Maduro. At the 53rd General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), Lula placed Brazil as protector of Nicaragua’s dictatorship to coverup the violation of human rights that dictator Daniel Ortega commits daily. Brazil was able to orchestrate a summit meeting of the European Union with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC in Spanish) to enable the presentation of Miguel Diaz-Canel, Cuba’s dictator, acknowledged violator of human rights.

Chancellor Mauro Vieira, formal operator of Lula’s foreign affairs, affirmed that the human rights crimes “committed by the regimes from Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, is a matter that merits discussion.” Shameful coverup and complicity in the face of the existence of thousands of political prisoners, tortured, persecuted, and unjustly condemned victims of State-terrorism, extorted with their families, exiled, deprived of their private property and their nationality.

Lula has sent Celso Amorim to Cuba and from Havana he has declared that “his visit to the island has been an express determination of President Lula” that symbolizes “the interest of the Brazilian mandatary in the political relations between both countries” and has announced that “there are several missions” who will go to Cuba, highlighting amongst them; a mission of business entrepreneurs, a mission of a group of specialists from the Ministry of Health, and “some technical missions.”

All of these actions by the President of Brazil violate the Brazilian constitution and the Interamerican Democratic Charter. He is governing on the fringes of the law and with wanton disregard of Brazilian interests. Lula has placed himself above the law in order to serve dictatorships, subjecting Brazil’s sovereignty he has ended the rule of law.

*Attorney & Political Scientist. Director of the Interamerican Institute for Democracy.

Translation from Spanish by Edgar L. Terrazas