Politics

This Wednesday morning, February 21st, President Lula had a very productive meeting with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Palácio do Planalto. Blinken is participating in the G20 ministerial meeting, a crucial group that brings together the world's largest economies, along with the European Union and the African Union, here in Rio de Janeiro. According to an official statement from the US government, the purpose of the secretary's visit is to reaffirm the country's support for the Brazilian presidency in the G20 and to strengthen the partnership between the two nations in favor of workers' rights and the transition to cleaner energy sources.

Blinken said the US respects Brazil's opinion and sovereignty

Furthermore, during the meeting, various topics of common interest were discussed. One of them was the recent diplomatic controversy between Brazil and Israel. Blinken said the US respects Brazilian opinion and sovereignty amid a relaxed, constructive, and respectful dialogue. Brazil expressed its position on the events in the Gaza Strip, seeking an understanding that promotes peace and dialogue among the involved parties.

Another important issue addressed was the territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana regarding the Essequibo. The Brazilian government is concerned about the situation and has played an active role in seeking a peaceful solution to the tensions between Maduro's authorities and the government of Guyana.

Overall, the meeting was marked by a positive and constructive atmosphere, reflecting the mutual commitment to cooperation and dialogue between Brazil and the United States on important global issues.

Israel and Netanyahu's isolation only widens globally

Many had speculated that the meeting would involve conflict, but the dialogue showed that the government of Israel led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had no negative influence whatsoever; quite the contrary, the United States appeared much closer to changing its position in the United Nations, while Netanyahu's isolation only widens globally, while Lula continues to be applauded by more than 120 nations calling for an end to the genocide in Palestine and for a peaceful planet.

The government of Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has been promoting a true genocide against the Palestinian people with the support of the United States and the United Kingdom.

Netanyahu's reaction to Lula's speech, which compared the cowardly military action of the Israeli government against Palestinian civilians and which has resulted in deaths, reports, and a number of images of dead children, occurred because the Brazilian president has managed to influence the global media, which has so far reported with bias on Israel's atrocities.

Lula's speech, in addition to influencing the biased media coverage surrounding the genocide, stated what many world leaders have been saying and did not have the same impact, since Brazil is a growing country and has more than enough support with its current government to say that "Israel cowardly uses soldiers, many of them drugged and crazed with hatred, shooting at children, teenagers, women, elderly, and adults, without discrimination, using only the excuse that they belong to Hamas." These same soldiers, in addition to committing murder, have also been stealing the belongings of Palestinians, and they also kill pets and families who manage to escape Israel's assassination attempts, yet they still have to protect their women and children from abuse.

And the genocide promoted by the Israeli government respects no opposing people, destroying hospitals, schools, colleges, and everything civilized in its path.

Even the ceasefire requests made by the United Nations (UN), Israel does not comply and always responds disrespectfully and mockingly to the institution, while at the same time joining its cowardice with the United States, which is currently the only country on the planet supporting the genocide in Palestine.

The genocide needs to stop

Since Netanyahu took office in Israel, he has prepared this action against Palestine, trying to make changes in the law to get a free pass to continue stealing Palestinian territory and applying his colonialist persecution, which removes homes, lands, and even water sources with concrete, and other atrocities. He suffered a defeat in the non-approval of his changes and divided the Israeli people, who have been protesting against the genocide in Palestine and against their prime minister.

Netanyahu has put a global target on the people of Israel

The whole world looks at what the Israeli government is doing to the Palestinian people in Gaza, and this has sparked persecution and aggression against the Israeli people, which worsens every day, the numbers only increase, violence out of indignation for what is happening in Palestine is playing out in the worst possible way, and this is likely to last for decades.

The Brazilian media is shameful

The Brazilian mainstream media acts as an appendage of the genocide, reporting the murder of 70 children in Gaza coldly, without importance, and quickly, but praising the freedom of two Israelis at length and always directing the content to blame the Palestinian people as being Hamas.

Lula's speech did indeed hit Netanyahu and not the good people of Israel. After all, the only time we've seen in history heavily armed soldiers indiscriminately killing entire families was in World War II, carried out by Nazis, and if allowed, they would do it again!

Lula is right!

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Israel and the USA promote genocide in Palestine greater than the Second World War

During a 50-day period of violence in Palestine, the word "genocide" emerged from specialized discussions and solidarity with the Palestinian people, making headlines in news and speeches by global leaders, including the Brazilian president, the UN Secretary-General, and Pope Francis. Speaking about genocide in relation to the Israeli colonial occupation and systematic ethnic cleansing in Palestine used to be prohibited, but the situation changed, especially after President Lula's intervention in Brazil.

On October 7 and in the following days, few organizations, such as the Palestinian Arab Federation of Brazil, mentioned the ongoing genocide, even with disagreements among Palestine supporters. Israeli brutality could no longer be ignored, forcing supporters of the Israeli regime to deal with this new reality. The US and its allies, as usual, denied the genocide and labeled those who mentioned it as "antisemitic."

The magnitude of the current carnage in Palestine is staggering, equivalent to or even surpassing historical genocides, including the Second World War. In less than 50 days, over 22,000 Palestinians were killed, with an average of 468 deaths per day in a population of 2.2 million. In comparison, during the 1947 ethnic cleansing, about 15,000 deaths were recorded in four years.

Highlighting the genocide of Palestinian children, with over 11,000 of them killed or missing, becomes one of the darkest features of this conflict. Industrial-scale killing also extended to Palestinian women, with over 4,500 of them killed. These numbers indicate a clear intention to exterminate the Palestinian people, making the genocidal nature of Israel and the US actions evident.

Describing the killing as "genocide of children" is not an exaggeration, given the alarming number of over 11,000 Palestinian children killed or missing. Every day, we witness an impressive average of 230 children losing their lives, almost double the daily losses during the Second World War. This reality should evoke outrage and immediate action, but there is a clear intention to exterminate the Palestinian people, making the genocidal nature of Israel and the US actions evident.

The collective sterilization of Palestinian society, aiming to impair its reproductive capacity, adds an additional layer of horror to this tragedy. Considering this reality, the international community is urged to take action, including the exclusion of Israel from the UN and the severance of relations with the state, which is also accused of promoting apartheid throughout Palestine. Urgent action is needed before it is too late for Palestine and humanity.

Photos from the social media of the Palestinian Arab Federation of Brazil - FEPAL. The text was written with information from news agencies.

Service:

Website: www.fepal.com.br

Twitter (X): @FepalB

The digital era has brought extraordinary advances but also significant challenges. In Brazil, the Internet Regulatory Framework, created in 2014, represents a crucial effort to balance online freedom with responsibility. However, the persistence of harmful posts on social media, combined with the influence of big tech companies and the controversy surrounding the Bill 2630/20, Fake News Law, presents complex challenges. In this article, we will explore the current context, highlighting the difficulties in removing harmful content and how it affects Brazilian society.

Internet Regulatory Framework: An attempt at balance

The Internet Regulatory Framework, sanctioned in 2014, sought to establish principles, guarantees, and duties for the use of the internet in Brazil. The framework emphasizes net neutrality in the face of fakes, user privacy, and platform responsibility. Although it was a significant step towards a safer digital environment, it faces considerable challenges in the effective implementation of its guidelines, especially concerning the removal of harmful content.

The Challenge of Content Moderation: Racism, homophobia, and fake news persist

Thousands of posts related to sensitive topics such as racism, homophobia, threats, and fake news are reported daily on social media. However, the effectiveness in removing such content remains below expectations. The dilemma between freedom of expression and responsibility in content moderation highlights the complexity of this scenario.

The fight against harmful speeches reveals the need to improve moderation mechanisms and the effective application of the Internet Regulatory Framework. Society awaits faster and more consistent responses to deal with the negative impact of these posts.

Fake News Bill: The debate on misinformation and responsibility

The Fake News Bill (PL), presented by Deputy Orlando Silva of PCdoB-SP, emerges as a legislative response to the challenge of misinformation. The bill aims to hold digital platforms accountable for the rapid removal of misleading content, emphasizing the importance of combating the spread of fake news. The debate around this proposal reflects the search for effective solutions to contemporary internet challenges.

Big Techs and Democracy: Between contribution and imposition

The well-known big techs have acted criminally instead of playing a crucial role in shaping the digital landscape. However, the influence of these tech giants has faced criticism, especially when imposing their own user standards and, in some cases, resisting collaboration with justice. Political polarization, the spread of fake news, and distrust in democratic institutions are some of the consequences of this conflict.

Social Impacts: A less tolerant and healthy scenario

The impact of this complex situation is directly reflected in society's well-being. Constant exposure to harmful posts, coupled with a lack of effective actions, contributes to a less tolerant online and offline environment. Users' mental health is affected, leading to anxiety and polarization. Democracy, in turn, suffers from the questionable influence of big techs and the challenges surrounding the Fake News Bill.

Future Perspectives: In search of integrated solutions

To build a healthier digital environment, it is crucial to seek integrated solutions. Improving content moderation mechanisms, advancing the debate on the Fake News Bill, and promoting transparency and responsibility by big techs are necessary steps. Only through a collective and effective approach will it be possible to address present challenges and shape the future of the internet in Brazil positively.

The search for a balance between freedom and responsibility, along with concrete actions and effective regulations, is essential to create a digital environment that promotes dialogue, truth, and tolerance. Brazil, like the rest of the world, faces a significant challenge, but through collaboration and the search for solutions, we can find a path to a healthier and more democratic internet. Otherwise, more innocent people, like youtuber Paulo Cezar Goulart Siqueira, 37, and young Jéssica Vitória Canedo, 22, may succumb to false news, as in the case involving her and comedian Whindersson Nunes, motivating her to commit suicide.

Seek help

If you need help, talk to someone close, or if you prefer, seek the Centro de Valorização da Vida (Life Valuation Center) or call 188 in Brazil, which operates 24/7. Don't be alone!

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On the night of 08/25, the former president and current leading candidate in the polls for the 2022 presidential elections in Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was in an interview with TV Globo's Jornal Nacional. The TV news presenters, Willian Bonner and Renata Vasconcelos, asked questions about the main interests of the electorate, such as: corruption, economy, political articulation, agribusiness and continuity of investment in the country.

Bonner asked at the first opportunity about corruption and how Lula in an eventual third term would prevent past mistakes from being repeated, the presenter also spoke about Lava Jato and stressed in the question that Lula owes nothing to justice.

The former president was perfect in his response when he stated that in his two governments, 2003 to 2006 and 2007 to 2010, several mechanisms were created to fight corruption that were scrapped and in some cases rendered useless by the Bolsonaro government, such as the Transparency Portal, Federal Police and the Financial Activities Control Council (COAF), among others.

“In my government, we strengthened the autonomy of the Federal Police (PF), we created several mechanisms to combat corruption and I never intervened in the PF as it happens today, I never changed a delegate because he was investigating a relative or friend of mine and I never used a decree of 100 years, to be a republican I need to let justice investigate, convict or exonerate”, said Lula.

Following the JN's agenda was economy, Lula recalled that when he assumed the presidency in 2002, he found the country broke, with 14% inflation and double-digit interest rates, 14 million unemployed, owing 35 billion to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). ), who visited Brazil every month giving advice on the economy and recalled that he solved everything, lowered inflation to below the 4% target, paid the IMF and loaned 15 billion to them and unemployment fell because opportunities were created for the people .

“It is not justified that more than 70% of the population is over-indebted, especially the female heads of the family, unlike the incompetent Bolsonaro who says he will keep the aid, but in the 2023 budget he did not put it and was against it since the time of the coronavirus pandemic. Covid19, wanted to allocate R$ 200.00, not accepted by congress, then offered R$ 400.00 and after a lot of confusion the national congress forced the approval of R$ 600.00, and only guaranteed money for the electoral period and payments they will only last until the end of the year, but I will keep the aid and bring the poor back to the Brazilian GDP".

Bonner tried to link to Lula the beginning of the crisis in 2015 of the Dilma government and Lula was direct “Bonner, when you leave the JN, you will understand what “dead king, post king” means”, Dilma had a fantastic first government and in the second she had to face the wrath of the defeated Aécio Neves (PSDB) and the president of the Federal Chamber, Eduardo Cunha (MDB), who worked against Dilma from the beginning to the end of her term, unlike the time of the president, Fernando Henrique Cardoso (PSDB), who there was Michel Temer (MDB), who acted so that the government at the time would not fall or have difficulty in approving proposals. If comrade Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) and I are elected, we will govern for the people and for that we will need to talk to everyone.

Lula says Bolsonaro doesn't rule anything

At that moment, Renata asked Lula if he would negotiate with the “centrão”, the answer was direct, we will have to talk to everyone, this is making politics, what we cannot do is having an elected congress with people who have no responsibility with the people, “so my friends, vote with the candidates who are supporting our ticket so that we have the governance necessary to make the changes we are going to make”.

O candidato enfatizou ainda que quando diz negociar com todos inclusive com o centrão, não significa ficar refém dele como Bolsonaro é hoje.

“Bolsonaro não manda em nada, quando os ministros precisam de algo do orçamento eles ligam para o presidente da câmara, Arthur Lira (PP), para pedir, já pensou numa coisa dessas?”.

A Renata sequenciou uma pergunta sobre o agronegócio, que segundo a repórter não apoia o Lula e ele respondeu lembrando que nenhum governo da história recente desse país fez mais pelo agronegócio que os governos do PT, existe alguns que não me apoiam por causa das politicas ambientais que criamos para proteger nossa biodiversidade que não deve ser desmatada e sim estudada para criar oportunidade e emprego para o povo brasileiro. Renata insiste na pergunta falando que o agronegócio quer proteger o meio ambiente também e Lula afirma, claro que sim, inclusive os que me apoiam são produtores sérios que exportam seus produtos e sabem da importância de preservar as águas e as matas para manterem a qualidade dos seus produtos, mas existe uma parte que quer queimar e desmatar”.

Para encerra Lula agradeceu aos repórteres pela entrevista e afirmou que juntamente com Alckmin vão mudar e preparar o Brasil para o futuro próximo e próspero e com oportunidades para todos.

“Eu não gosto de dizer que vou ganhar para governar, eu vou ganhar para cuidar do povo”, prometeu Lula.

Bolsonaro continues making crowds and photos on his vacation and has shown himself without any concern for what happens in the floods in Bahia

Unfortunately, the lack of empathy outweighs the lack of command of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL). On vacation this weekend, Bolsonaro does not act as a statesman to help alleviate the effects of the chaos that the southern region of Bahia is experiencing due to the excess of heavy rains that have occurred since November in the region.

So far, 116 areas have been affected, 100 municipalities are in a state of emergency, 20 deaths and more than 400,000 people are homeless, without food and clean water to drink.

The governor of Bahia, Rui Costa (PT), has reported on several initiatives with the infrastructure of the state itself and has publicly complained about the lack of federal support, which only started to dawn on the 28th. According to Rui, president Bolsonaro did well at the beginning of the rains visiting the state and brought many problems and conflicts that yielded unfulfilled aggression and promises of help.

"This is the biggest disaster in the history of Bahia", says Rui Costa.

Ministers doing a platform in Bahia

Landed in southern Bahia the ministers of Regional Development, Rogério Marinho; of Citizenship, João Roma; of Health, Marcelo Queiroga; of Women, Family and Human Rights, Damares Alves, promised help, but with a platform set up, they did not spare criticism of the state of Bahia.

On Tuesday, 12/28, the federal government announced that it would transfer the amount of R$ 200 million to actions to deal with the consequences caused by the rain in Bahia. But the union drew attention to the fact that the money belongs to other regions and cannot be used solely and exclusively in Bahia, that is, Bolsonaro and his ministers lied when they said they would help. Senator Jaques Wagner (PT-BA), president of the Senate Environment Commission and who is at the head of the task force together with the state governor, Rui Castro, warned that the amount is insufficient for all the damage.

Wagner does not rule out the possibility of calling an emergency to vote on a bill or provisional measure to allocate aid to victims of the rains in Bahia. Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), president of the House, has already indicated that he is.

What help has arrived

The other northeastern states have sent emergency firefighters, vehicles, water and food. Artists have been kitting out and using their image to collect financial donations. The health ministry only yesterday, 28, assigned first-aid doctors and the army begins sending troops.

Make your donation!

Banco do Brasil's bank account has branch number: 3832-6 (public sector) and account: 993.602-5, identified as BA Estado Solidário.

For deposits via PIX, donors must use the CNPJ of Sudec - Superintendence of Civil Defense and Protection of the State: 13.420.302/0001-60

Data Source: Website of the Government of the State of Bahia (Portuguese from Brazil)

The holidays in Bolsonaro

Since the 27th, Bolsonaro has been on vacation in São Francisco do Sul, on the Santa Catarina coast, to spend the New Year's Eve period. His trip to the region takes place in the midst of the tragedy recorded in Bahia, which he demonstrates in several interviews that he does not worry too much about the tragedy in Bahia.

“I hope I don't have to go back sooner,” he said in a video released by the Santa Catarina portal ND Mais, while talking to some people on the beach. On Tuesday, 28, Bolsonaro went for a ride on a watercraft.

The president's absence in this case has moved the backstage of politics in Brasilia and allies have complained that it will publicly affect next year's elections. Federal Deputies of Bahia have met with the President of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), to anticipate the release of aid.

“It's a complete reversal of priorities. While more than 400,000 people are affected by this tragedy, he is fishing. It's even cruel. It is the mark of cruelty, of complete lack of sensitivity to the other's problem. It's not because the governor of Bahia belongs to another party that he should act like this”, vents the deputy, Alice Portugal (PCdoB-BA), mentioning the well-known political animosity between Bolsonaro and governor Rui Costa (PT).

The leader of the Bolsonaro government in the Chamber, Deputy Ricardo Barros (PP-PR), in an interview with UOL, made the situation in Bahia little serious and said that "the federal government is already present" in the region for having sent three ministers and one Troop of the Armed Forces.

“This is the characteristic of the Bolsonaro government: it is not concerned with the people, with the citizen, the citizen. And we who are in politics have to have this responsibility. A moment like this is not a time for celebration, it is not a time to celebrate anything. It's time to be supportive. This isn't Bolsonaro, so it's no surprise for me that he travels to Santa Catarina”, reacts deputy Valmir Assunção (PT-BA).