Estadão newspaper Alert: The Criminalization of the Opposition and the Danger to Democracy
The recent offensive of the federal government against Deputy Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG), including representations in the Ethics Council of the House and accusations of crimes such as embezzlement and crime against the popular economy, raises serious concerns about the use of the state apparatus to silence opposition voices. According to the newspaper State of S. Paulo latest editorial, such actions have the clear objective of intimidating political opponents under the pretext of combating “fake news” related to the Pix system.
Nikolas Ferreira was the target of attacks after publicly criticizing an IRS (Brazil) regulation that could lead to an expanded monitoring of transactions via Pix and, possibly, a higher tax burden. In response, the government called the Attorney General of the Union (AGU) and parliamentarians from the allied base denounced the deputy to the Ethics Council and the Attorney General’s Office, accusing him of crimes without clear grounds, as pointed out by Estadão. This ignores the constitutional protection of parliamentary immunity, which ensures legislators the freedom of demonstration in the exercise of their functions.
The use of the Ethics Council and the AGU to retaliate against public criticism represents, in the words of Estadão, “an affront to the free exercise of politics”. Even if Nikolas’ statements are subject to debate or even correction, criminalizing them goes beyond democratic limits. As the newspaper emphasizes, “lying in politics is not a crime”, except when it comes to incitement to violence, apology for crime or other conducts clearly typified by the Penal Code.
In addition, the justification presented by the AGU – that the “fake news” would be affecting the use of Pix and generating damage to the popular economy – lacks consistency, as highlighted by Estadão. Drops in financial movement via Pix do not prove direct damage caused by misinformation, but rather a lack of communication by the government itself in defending its policies.
This episode exemplifies a dangerous practice: the criminalization of the opposition and the excessive use of state resources to suffocate legitimate criticism. Estadão’s newspaper editorial reinforces that using the force of the State to intimidate opponents disrespects the foundations of the Rule of Law and weakens the democratic system.
More worrying is the precedent created. The threat of suing parliamentarians for their public opinions generates a climate of fear, which may inhibit the supervisory role of the Legislature. As Estadão pointed out, if even a deputy like Nikolas Ferreira – the most voted in the 2022 elections – is treated as a criminal, the message sent to the others is clear: criticizing the government can have severe consequences.
Democracy demands tolerance for the contradictory and protection for freedom of expression, no matter how uncomfortable the criticism is. Judicializing political discourse creates a smokescreen that diverts the focus from the country’s real problems and undermines trust in institutions.
If Lula wants to strengthen his government and consolidate his position, as Estadão points out, he must abandon authoritarian practices and invest in transparent communication and dialogue with society. The strength of a democratic government is not in silencing its critics, but in confronting them with arguments and results. After all, democracy is based on plurality and debate, and not on the criminalization of political dissent.
Source: Editorial Estado de S. Paulo. “Lula orders a witch hunt “, published on January 19, 2025.
Hora Brasilia
Translation-the Hotspotorlando News