Brazil

President Jair Bolsonaro has threatened democratic rule in Brazil by attempting to undermine trust in the electoral system, free speech, and judicial independence. He also tried to sabotage public health measures to curb Covid-19. The Supreme Court has stepped in to uphold basic rights. His administration has weakened environmental law enforcement, effectively giving a green light to criminal networks that are driving deforestation in the Amazon and intimidating and attacking forest defenders. Police killings have reached the highest number on record, disproportionately affecting Black Brazilians. Many prisons are severely overcrowded, leaving detainees vulnerable to violence and recruitment by gangs.