Bolsonaro Lawsuit Challenging The Election Fails

 

The Man, The Machines

BRAZIL

Brazil’s electoral court rejected a complaint by the party of outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro challenging the outcome of last month’s presidential runoff that he narrowly lost to his leftist rival, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

The populist leader lost in the Oct. 31 runoff to former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who won 50.9 percent of the vote.

On Tuesday, Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party (PL) filed a complaint after a party-commissioned study said it found “serious and irremediable inconsistencies” in older models of Brazil’s digital ballot boxes.

The report said that software malfunctions made it impossible to individually identify devices manufactured before 2020, which accounted for nearly 60 percent of those used in the election.

As a result, the party suggested that votes cast through these machines should be “invalidated,” which the study said would hand Bolsonaro victory, the Financial Times added.

The electoral court said it would consider the complaint if the PL submitted a new report within 24 hours – including results from the first round of the election because the same machines were used in both ballots.

But party representatives said there would be no amended report, prompting the court to dismiss the complaint Wednesday.

The court also issued a fine of more than $4 million for “bad faith litigation” and ordered the suspension of government funds for the Liberal Party until the penalty is paid.

Earlier this month, Bolsonaro supporters launched blockades across Brazil following the election results, claiming that da Silva fraudulently won the election. The outgoing leader also took two days to address the public after his defeat: He has not explicitly conceded the race or congratulated his opponent since the election.

Analysts said the recent challenge was an attempt by Bolsonaro, who has consistently questioned the integrity of Brazil’s election system, to appeal to his supporters.

Bolsonaro "Pulls A Trump"

 

Brazil's Bolsonaro Calls for Invalidation of Electoral Results, Threatening Unrest

What Happened: Jair Bolsonaro's Liberal Party filed a lawsuit on 22 November before the Superior Electoral Tribunal seeking to invalidate the results of the 30 October presidential runoff election, arguing that any ballots cast through electronic ballot boxes of older model voting machines should be annulled, as the machines are impossible to audit, Folha de Sao Paulo reported on 23 November. After losing the 30 October presidential runoff election, Bolsonaro made a brief public statement on 1 November saying that he "always intended to operate within the electoral rules," suggesting he would respect electoral results showing that he lost the 30 October election without outright conceding. Why It Matters: The challenge to the official results will almost certainly galvanize Bolsonaro's supporters, many of whom believe the election was stolen, to resume highly disruptive strike activity including roadblocks and protests. Such demonstrations are highly likely to disrupt the country's agribusiness sector -- as soybean and wheat supply chains rely on highway access to ports -- and air travel, as protesters have previously targeted roads leading to airports causing flight delays. While the baseline level of demonstrations, roadblocks and strikes will be elevated through 2022, several incidents will serve as triggers including the Superior Electoral Court's refusal to review the petition and President-elect Luis Inacio Lula da Silva's inauguration on 1 January 2023.

Source: RANE Worldview

European Commission

Peru Has Troubles About Oil Spills In The Amazon

 

PERU

Indigenous protesters in Peru released more than 100 tourists and local residents over the weekend after holding them on a boat for more than a day in an effort to force the government to act over oil spills in the Amazon region, the Guardian reported.

On Thursday, the Indigenous Kukama held a boat full of Peruvians and foreigners – including British and US citizens – in the region of Loreto. The incident occurred amid protests by the group over the spilling of 2,500 oil barrels into the Cuninico River in September.

Kukama leader Watson Trujillo lamented that the spill had affected nearly 1,000 inhabitants and 80 other communities, many of which lack utilities, such as running water, electricity and telephone lines.

Trujillo said the release came following talks with the head of the Cuninico communities. None of the tourists were physically harmed, according to local media.

Even so, Peruvian officials accused Indigenous communities in the Amazon region of cutting the oil pipeline to later “claim compensation.” Indigenous leaders, however, rejected the allegations, saying their communities – which primarily rely on fishing, hunting and farming – have been affected by the spill.

The September spill occurred on the state-run NorPeruano pipeline, which is more than four decades old and has been the subject of much scrutiny over its poor maintenance.

Constant oil leaks have impacted the health of the native Amazonians: According to blood and urine tests conducted by Peru’s health ministry in 2016, children and adults in Loreto’s four main river basins were found to have levels of toxic heavy metals – such as mercury and lead – far above permissible levels.