Brazil: the attacks on the branches of government

Thank you very much and good morning, Mr. Chair.

With the leave of our regional coordinator, and this being your first formal meeting, allow me to congratulate you and to express the support of our Delegation for your term as incoming Chair of the Permanent Council. We look with sympathy on the leadership of Trinidad and Tobago in this period, and we also wish to thank and recognize the work of the outgoing Chair, our friend the Ambassador of Suriname. We take note of the statement by the Permanent Representative of Brazil and, in solidarity, extend a fraternal greeting to his Government and people.

Distinguished colleagues, Mr. Secretary General, we view with concern the rise of indicators which, when they converge, seem to set off events such as those that have occurred. I refer to the rejection or weak acceptance of the democratic rules of the game, the denial of the legitimacy of opponents, intolerance and the encouragement of violence and disinformation, leaders who do not exercise self-restraint, the readiness to relativize human rights, and indoctrination for political radicalization. All of that is unacceptable.

And this is so because the protection of democracy as a regional standard in the Americas was forged as an indivisible regional variable; the obligation of the American states and their political actors toward democracy is to promote it, strengthen it and preserve it. That is why we look with sympathy on this meeting and on the collective demonstration of those present here in favor of democracy. The coordinated and unified response of the branches of government of Brazil to restore order and set institutional life back on course is also praiseworthy.

This Organization rests on mutual interests and support among all states; that is why we are here today, as our President, Luis Abinader, stated, to express the firmest repudiation and condemnation of the unjustifiable acts of violence against the branches of government and democracy in Brazil. The Dominican Republic reiterates all its solidarity and support to the Government and people of Brazil.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.