Maduro makes Bolsonaro look palatable to UN Human Rights Council

After the world looked on open-mouthed as President Jair Bolsonaro delivered a heavy-handed speech at the United Nations General Assembly in September, it has become difficult to look to Brazil for any authority on human rights issues.

With severe accusations against indigenous communities and even nods to the country’s brutal military dictatorship (1964–1985), the conservative agenda of Brazil’s far-right government is now out in the open. Its first test, however, comes tomorrow, when Brazil, Venezuela, and Costa Rica battle it out for two seats on the UN Human Rights Council.

The UN General Assembly will elect 14 new members to fill the 47-strong council for three-year terms beginning 2020. Selected countries must receive 97 of a possible 193 votes. Until October 3, only Brazil and Venezuela were competing for the two positions reserved for Latin America and the Caribbean, making them both shoe-ins. 

However, after Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado also showed an interest, the Latin American and Caribbean regional group at the UN now have the perfect plan to kick Venezuela’s bid into touch. 

If Brazil’s extraordinarily religious and anti-communist discourse is awash with criticism, Venezuela’s repressive government is in a much worse diplomatic situation. According to José Miguel Vivanco, Human Rights Watch director in the Americas, electing Nicolás Maduro’s country “would be an insult” to other members of the council. 

The Organization of American States (OAS) says the same. Secretary-General Luis Almagro tweeted that he supported Brazil’s candidacy precisely because “it would be inadmissible” to see Venezuela in their place.