BRAZIL / USA – The Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Brazil, headed by the former foreign minister of Paraguay, Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, began its deployment ahead of the October 2 general elections.
Made up of 55 specialists and observers of 17 nationalities, the Mission will be present in 15 states (Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Goiás, Maranhao, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo) and the federal district. In addition, on the day of the election, it will observe the voting in three cities abroad (Porto, Miami and Washington, DC). The Mission includes experts who will monitor key aspects of electoral technology and organization, voting abroad, electoral justice, political financing, campaigns and freedom of expression, political participation of women, participation of indigenous groups and Afro-descendants, and electoral violence.
Over the next few days, both the chief of mission and the other members of the OAS Mission will meet with electoral and government authorities, political leaders, national observers, and other representatives of civil society to hear different views on these elections. These meetings, added to the direct observation and analysis of the regulations, will allow the Mission to carry out a comprehensive analysis of this process.
This is the third time that the OAS has deployed a Mission to observe electoral processes in Brazil. After the elections, the Mission will present a preliminary report with its observations and recommendations in order to contribute to the strengthening of the electoral processes in Brazil.
