When participating in a ceremony in memory of the episodes that occurred on January 8, 2023, the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Ricardo Lewandowski, said this Wednesday (8) that the true essence of democracy lies in the people’s ability to develop and maintain a more just, egalitarian, fraternal and supportive society.
“Two years ago, we were witnesses to a regrettable episode in our history. We saw, perplexed, the invasion of the Três Poderes buildings, in Brasília”, he recalled. “We soon realized, however, that the attack on our democracy did not begin there, on January 8th. The process was more subtle, more gradual.”
“We’ve all seen hate speech and the spread of fake news grow, fueling polarization and creating the ‘us versus them’ narrative. We saw the emergence of an exacerbated and anachronistic nationalism that, under the guise of fighting corruption or defending national security, opened space for practices that attacked the very heart of our democracy.”
In his speech, Lewandosowski, who held the position of minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) when the acts of January 8, 2023 were registered, also said that “we must be firm, united and vigilant”. “We cannot allow the lessons of the past to be lost. Every threat that arises against the democratic regime must be a reminder of the inestimable value it represents.”
Award
During the ceremony, the minister, accompanied by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Attorney General of the Union, Jorge Messias, signed a decree establishing the Eunice Paiva Award for Defense of Democracy.
The initiative, by the Observatory of Democracy of the Attorney General’s Office (AGU), will grant the distinction to natural persons, Brazilian or foreign, who have contributed in a notable way to the preservation, restoration or consolidation of democracy in Brazil, as well as to the advancement of the constitutional values of the Democratic Rule of Law.
“Equally, it represents a tribute to the lawyer’s trajectory of struggle, political resistance and work in defense of human rights [Eunice Paiva]”, highlighted the AGU in a note.
The award will be granted annually, honoring a personality who has demonstrated, through their professional, intellectual, social or political activities, a significant contribution to strengthening the democratic regime in Brazil.
The AGU informed that it will publish, in the first quarter of 2025, a normative act with additional information necessary to implement the award.
