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Brazil highway police blockades fan voter-suppression fears
RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Widespread allegations of illegal roadblocks by Brazil's Federal Highway Police (PRF) in the poor northeast of Brazil sparked fears of potential vote suppression that could benefit far-right President Jair Bolsonaro in Sunday's tense runoff election.
Brazilians cast their votes on Sunday in a fraught second-round vote between Bolsonaro and leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The president wants to consolidate his conservative overhaul of the country, while Lula vows more social spending and state-run economic policies.
From early on Sunday, reports began to surface that the PRF was conducting illegal roadblocks of buses carrying voters across the northeast, despite an order by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) preventing such operations.
The northeast is a stronghold of Lula voters, and surveys suggest Bolsonaro will need to make major inroads there to come from behind in the polls and clinch victory.
Critics allege the PRF has become overtly pro-Bolsonaro over the last four years, and that its officers were potentially seeking to suppress the vote in Lula strongholds.
Brazilians cast their votes on Sunday in a fraught second-round vote between Bolsonaro and leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The president wants to consolidate his conservative overhaul of the country, while Lula vows more social spending and state-run economic policies.
From early on Sunday, reports began to surface that the PRF was conducting illegal roadblocks of buses carrying voters across the northeast, despite an order by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) preventing such operations.
The northeast is a stronghold of Lula voters, and surveys suggest Bolsonaro will need to make major inroads there to come from behind in the polls and clinch victory.
Critics allege the PRF has become overtly pro-Bolsonaro over the last four years, and that its officers were potentially seeking to suppress the vote in Lula strongholds.
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazil-highway-police-blockades-fan-voter-suppression-fears-2022-10-30/
Despite their intimidation, Lula won.
This is in a country where voting is compulsory, and there are real consequences for failing to vote.