Speaking at the G20, Bolsonaro says that racial tensions in Brazil are imported and ‘alien to our history’ | Politics

President’s statement occurs amid protests against racism in several cities of the country after the welder João Alberto Silveira Freitas, a 40-year-old black citizen, was beaten and killed in a unit of the Carrefour supermarket in Porto Alegre (RS). He was buried this Saturday.

Bolsonaro’s speech was not broadcast by the G20, but provided by the Presidential Palace late Saturday morning. The President began his speech by addressing the racial issue, but did not mention the case of João Alberto (read the full speech at the end of this article).

“Before entering the main topic of this session, I want to make a quick defense of the Brazilian national character against the attempts to import tensions foreign to our history into our territory,” said Bolsonaro.

“Brazil has a diverse culture, unique among nations. We are a mestizo people. Whites, blacks and Indians built the body and spirit of a rich and wonderful people. In a single Brazilian family we can contemplate a greater diversity than entire countries.” . “

According to Bolsonaro, the mestizaje “was the essence” of the Brazilian who “won the sympathy of the world.” For him, however, “there are those who want to destroy it, and put conflict, resentment, hatred and division between races in its place, always disguised as a ‘fight for equality’ or ‘social justice’.

According to the president, “everything” is done “in search of power.”

Later, Bolsonaro admitted that Brazilians “are not perfect” and that “we have our problems.” But He noted that “there are various interests to create tensions between us.”

“A united people is a sovereign people. Divided it is vulnerable. And a vulnerable people can be more easily controlled and subdued. Our freedom is non-negotiable,” said the president.

He also said that “as a man and as president,” he sees “everyone with the same colors: green and yellow.”

“There is no better skin color than the others. What exists are good men and bad men; and it is our choices and values ​​that will determine who we will be. Those that instigate people to discord, manufacturing and promoting conflicts.” They attack not only the nation, but our own history, ”Bolsonaro said.

The G20 meeting is chaired this year by Saudi Arabia. It is the first time that an Arab country hosts the event. However, due to the new coronavirus pandemic, the meeting was virtual.

Protests against racism

The death of João Alberto, after being beaten by two security guards in a Carrefour supermarket store, had a strong impact in Brazil and also abroad and sparked anti-racist protests on social media and on the streets of some cities.

• PHOTOS: the demonstrations for the death of a black man in a Porto Alegre supermarket

In Porto Alegre, the city where the crime occurred, the demonstration began peacefully, but ended in confusion.

In São Paulo, a group attacked a Carrefour store, no one was injured. In Rio, the protest closed the unit of the supermarket chain.

On Friday (20), President Jair Bolsonaro spoke about the violence on a social network, but did not mention the case of João Alberto. He didn’t even talk about murders or racism in Brazil. Vice President Hamilton Mourão mourned the death, but said there is no racism in Brazil.

In his speech to the G20, Bolsonaro also spoke about the pandemic, saying that, together, nations are overcoming “one of the most serious health crises in recent history.”

“We are overcoming uncertainties, logistical difficulties and even misinformation,” he said.

Bolsonaro also affirmed that Brazil joins international efforts to search for effective and safe vaccines against covid-19, “in addition to adopting early treatment to combat the disease.”

“We support universal, equitable and affordable access to available treatments. It is with this objective in mind that we participate in different initiatives aimed at combating the disease,” he declared.

The president also defended the “freedom of each individual to decide whether to be vaccinated or not.”

“The pandemic cannot serve as a justification for attacks on individual freedoms,” he added.

Bolsonaro said that the G20 countries “injected” more than $ 10 trillion into the world economy to alleviate the effects of the pandemic on the economy.

“These measures contributed to ensuring liquidity in the markets and providing fiscal relief to the most vulnerable countries. In this way, we prevented the effects of the pandemic from being even more devastating,” he said.

Among the actions taken by the Brazilian government, Bolsonaro cited the emergency aid paid, according to him, to 65 million informal workers who lost income, and the release of resources for small and medium-sized companies.

Bolsonaro said that “as the pandemic in Brazil is overcome, people’s lives return to normal and the prospects for an economic recovery become more positive and concrete.”

“For this reason, we want to continue with the structural reform program to further strengthen and promote sustainable growth in Brazil,” he said.

The president also defended the reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO), considering that it would be a “key element” for the recovery of the world economy.

“Brazil advocates for progress in the three pillars of the WTO: negotiations, dispute resolution, and monitoring and transparency. We also hope that the Appellate Body can fully function again as soon as possible,” he said.

In this reform, Bolsonaro said, the “ambition to reduce subsidies to agricultural products” must have “the same desire that some countries seek to promote trade in industrial goods.”

Read in its entirety the speech of President Jair Bolsonaro in the virtual meeting of the G20 this Saturday (21):

Before going into the main topic of this session, I want to make a quick defense of the Brazilian national character in the face of attempts to import tensions foreign to our history into our territory.

Brazil has a diverse culture, unique among nations. We are a mestizo people. Whites, blacks and Indians built the body and spirit of a rich and wonderful people. In a single Brazilian family, we can contemplate a greater diversity than entire countries.

It was the essence of these people that won the sympathy of the world. However, there are those who want to destroy it, and put in its place conflict, resentment, hatred and division between races, always masquerading as “fighting for equality” or “social justice”. All in search of power.

We are not perfect. We have our problems.

There are various interests to create tensions between us.

A united people is a sovereign people.

And vulnerable people can be more easily controlled and subdued. Our freedom is not negotiable.

As a man and as a president, I see everyone in the same colors: green and yellow! There is no better skin color than the others. What exists are good men and bad men; and it is our choices and values ​​that will determine which of us we will be.

Those who incite the people to discord, fabricating and promoting conflicts, attack not only the nation, but our own history.

After this brief introduction, it is a pleasure to participate in this meeting and to be able, once again, to exchange experiences with the G20 partners, a group that represents two-thirds of the world’s population, 90% of GDP and 80% of international trade. .

Unfortunately, due to the health crisis, we were unable to meet in person. However, thanks to the brilliant and creative performance of Saudi Arabia, and in particular Prince Mohammad bin Salman, distance has not hampered our quest for results that generate well-being and prosperity for our countries.

During our last extraordinary meeting, on March 26, we pledged to take all necessary measures to combat the pandemic and, at the same time, protect and stimulate the global economy.

We also launched the commitment not to interrupt trade flows and global production chains, seeking to promote international cooperation.

Although far from ideal, I am convinced that we are succeeding in these initiatives.

Together, we are overcoming one of the most serious health crises in recent history. We are overcoming uncertainties, logistical difficulties, and even misinformation.

Brazil joins international efforts to search for effective and safe vaccines against covid-19, in addition to adopting early treatment to combat the disease.

We support universal, equitable and affordable access to available treatments. It is with this objective in mind that we participate in different initiatives aimed at combating the disease.

However, it should be noted that we also defend the freedom of each individual to decide whether to be vaccinated or not. The pandemic cannot serve as a justification for attacks on individual freedoms.

In the economic sphere, our countries have jointly injected more than 10 trillion dollars into the world economy. Our Finance Ministers and Central Bank Presidents agreed on the “Action Plan to Support the Global Economy” and the “Debt Service Suspension Initiative”.

These measures helped to ensure liquidity in the markets and provide fiscal relief to the most vulnerable countries. In this way we prevent the effects of the pandemic from being even more devastating.

The measures taken by our Government have served more than 65 million Brazilians with emergency assistance. With the help of more than 400 thousand small and medium-sized companies, we have preserved around 12 million jobs. We have also injected substantial resources into states and municipalities and, in this way, we have reduced poverty rates. With these measures, we guarantee the survival and dignity of thousands of Brazilian families, precisely those most in need.

As the pandemic in Brazil is overcome, people’s lives return to normal and the prospects for economic recovery become more positive and concrete.

For this reason, we want to continue with the structural reform program to further strengthen and stimulate Brazil’s sustained growth.

The reform of the WTO, which was necessary before the pandemic, is now a key element in the recovery of the world economy.

Brazil advocates progress in the three pillars of the WTO: negotiations; dispute resolution; and monitoring and transparency.

We also hope that the Appellate Body will be able to fully function again as soon as possible.

In reforming the Organization, we want the ambition to reduce subsidies to agricultural goods to have the same will that some countries seek to promote trade in industrial goods.

Furthermore, the WTO reform process should include stimulating investment and creating fair and balanced conditions for international trade, not only in goods, but also in services.

For this reason, I propose that our Ministers debate and share best practices on how to approach this issue, avoiding falling into the trap of subsidies and policies that distort international trade.

I am confident that our coordinated attitude towards the challenges of the pandemic will once again be critical to the global economic recovery.

There is no time to lose. I count on the support of Your Excellencies as we initiate the necessary changes, particularly in the WTO.

Together we will strengthen our economies and generate more well-being and prosperity for our people.