The Global Subcommittee on Human Rights of the United States House of Representatives requested in a letter to the OAS (Organization of American States) “information on serious allegations of human rights violations in Brazil”.
The text says that the violations are “committed by Brazilian authorities on a large scale”. It does not explicitly mention STF (Supreme Federal Court) minister Alexandre de Moraes. However, the magistrate was cited in a report by the Judicial Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives for “censoring” any Brazilian opposition with “a platform of criticism” of the current “left-wing government”.
The letter sent to the OAS is signed by the president of the subcommittee, Republican deputy Cris Smith, and addressed to the president of the IACHR (Inter-American Commission on Human Rights), Roberta Clarke, and to the entity’s special rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, Pedro José Vaca Villarreal.
Smith stated that “credible allegations have been made of mass violations of freedom of expression, including censorship imposed through abuses of judicial authority and the muzzling of opposition media outlets.”
The letter reads: “In view of the mandate of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and particularly of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, to promote respect for human rights and freedom of expression, including to monitor and collect relevant reports , information about developments in Brazil, I respectfully ask that you share any information you have about these human rights violations.”
The congressman questioned the OAS about the “steps and measures” adopted by the organization to “deal with the current situation in Brazil” and whether there were suggestions for how the US Chamber could act on the issue.