‘We’re afraid of dying’: Brazilian news site will not cover upcoming elections…
Co-founder of independent website Tapajós de Fato said decision was made to protect journalists and their families
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Four years ago, during Brazil’s last presidential election
Four years ago, during Brazil’s last presidential election, the tyres were slashed on the pickup truck used for reporting by Tapajós de Fato, an independent journalism website in the Brazilian Amazon.
Days later, a cat’s severed head was left
Days later, a cat’s severed head was left next to the car park, alongside a note bearing the name of one of the site’s founders, Marcos Wesley Pedroso, and a warning that he would be next.
Last July, security cameras outside Pedroso’s house showed
Last July, security cameras outside Pedroso’s house showed cyclists circling the block, whistling and filming his car until, minutes later, another car crashed into it. “I believe they wanted me to come outside so they could ambush me,” said Pedroso.
Police have not identified those responsible or established
Police have not identified those responsible or established whether the cases are connected, but Pedroso sees them as part of a wider series of threats linked to Tapajós de Fato’s reporting on environmental and Indigenous rights violations, land disputes, and pesticide contamination in the Amazonian state of Pará.
As a result, the site’s team decided not
As a result, the site’s team decided not to cover this year’s elections – which will choose the next president, state governors, members of the lower house and part of the senate, with the first round on 4 October. “We’re afraid of dying and of putting our families’ safety at risk,” said Pedroso.
He added that the site, whose name refers
He added that the site, whose name refers to the 1,238-mile-long (1,992km) Tapajós River, would remain online and continue covering environmental issues, but would avoid stories about the election.
News of violence around election time is not
News of violence around election time is not uncommon: in 2022 a man was struck on the head with a piece of wood after saying he did not support the far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro’s re-election bid.
Journalism and free-expression organisations in Brazil see Tapajós
Journalism and free-expression organisations in Brazil see Tapajós de Fato’s decision, first reported by a network of independent Amazonian media outlets, as a serious example of the consequences of attacks against journalists during the electoral period.
“It reflects the different forms of attempted censorship
“It reflects the different forms of attempted censorship and silencing that journalists have to face in Brazil,” said Letícia Kleim, legal coordinator at the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism.
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‘We’re afraid of dying’: Brazilian news site will not cover upcoming elections after threats
Co-founder of independent website Tapajós de Fato said decision was made to protect journalists and their families
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Source: Guardian Americas