Overview of Human Rights in Brazil

Brazil is a constitutional federal republic. The government is working to maintain debt repayment to its foreign debtors at the expense of its social spending. This policy is creating domestic issues and subsequent human rights issues. Higher levels of hunger, poverty, as well as widespread child labor, are all results of domestic spending cuts.

At the governmental level there are numerous serious abuses worth noting. The police, notably at the state level, is believed to be involved in killings for hire and death squad executions of suspects. Excessive force, coerced confessions, and torture are all common practices as well. Once convicted of a crime and sent to prison, one faces harsh and inhumane conditions, overcrowding and the threat of violence at the hands of other inmates or prison guards.

The judiciary is not known to be fully independent of the government and, therefore, there is no way to ensure a free, fair or speedy trial. Investigations into human rights abuses are seldom subject to independent review. This has allowed for impunity for many military and civilian police officials who have committed crimes against humanity.

Society frequently discriminates against and perpetrates violent acts upon homosexuals and those of Afro-Brazilian descent without fear of reprisal from the authorities.

Efforts to improve the human rights situation in Brazil are often undermined by the failure to punish those who continue to commit the abuses on a daily bases or even those known guilty of past offenses.

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

69th out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.