Opinion article: Trump’s inauguration highlights the need to defend human rights

According to Ana Gimena Sanchez (WOLA) and Camila Asano (Conectas), the new president of the USA represents an anti-democratic movement that must be resisted worldwide

Jornais destacam a posse de Donald Trump em 21 de janeiro de 2025. No início do segundo mandato, Trump assinou ordens controversas. (Foto: Henry Nicholls / AFP)

Donald Trump’s inauguration in the U.S. marks a new challenge for human rights and global democracy. In the face of anti-democratic policies and setbacks in fundamental rights, it is essential to strengthen the bonds of solidarity between organizations in Brazil and the United States.

Donald Trump´s inauguration in the U.S. marks a new challenge for human rights and global democracy. In the face of anti-democratic policies and setbacks in fundamental rights, it is essential to strengthen the bonds of solidarity between organizations in Brazil and the United States.

An article signed by Camila Asano, executive director of Conectas, and Ana Gimena Sanchez, director of the Washington Office for Latin America, shows how global resistance can be built in this new scenario. The text was originally published in Folha de São Paulo. Click here to read. 

Trump’s inauguration highlights the need to defend human rights

The inauguration of Donald Trump, on Monday is the start of a new chapter in world history, in which the bonds of solidarity between human rights defenders in Brazil and the United States must be strengthened, more than ever.

The good news is that both countries have a vibrant range of civil society organizations that have proven steadfast in defending democratic values.

During part of Trump´s first term, Jair Bolsonaro was the president of Brazil, and the two nations advanced similar anti-democratic political platforms. Among the main values promoted were the denial of the climate crisis and Covid-19, Christian nationalism, attacks on multilateralism, and anti-gender and anti-reproductive rights agendas. This rhetoric, along with the resulting policies and actions, had a devastating impact on socio-environmental safeguards and on the rights of women, the LGBTQIA+ community, Black people, Indigenous people and impoverished communities.

The aggressive style of both authoritarian populists included attacking critical voices, minorities, the press, particularly women journalists. Both discredited the electoral systems of their respective countries, without evidence and spread misinformation. As a result, the Capitol was invaded on 6 January 2021, and the headquarters of the Three Branches of Government in Brasília was attacked on 8 January 2023. Democracy and human rights were severely threatened in both territories.

In this second Trump administration, the scenario in Brazil is different. Lula da Silva is president and the anti-democratic alignment of the past has been replaced with a relationship marked by tension. There was the announcement that Elon Musk, owner of X, who has clashed with the Brazilian judiciary, will be part of the U.S administration and also a recent announcement that Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta is ending the fact-checking program and making changes to moderation rules.

Not to mention that far-right groups in Brazil maintain deep ties with U.S politicians as part of a global ultraconservative alliance that distorts the right to freedom of expression, with a supposed right to a free-pass to attack and incite violence against minorities and democracy itself.

The regulation of digital platforms must be at the center of both the diplomatic and domestic agenda of Lula´s government if the goal is for Brazil to be on the front lines of defending democracy globally.

The start of the Trump´s second term and his preference for unchecked misinformation and the denial of science, history, and facts have an impact on issues that are fundamental to the present and future of humanity, such as the climate crisis. Central struggles for human dignity, such as the fight against inequality and racism, are severely undermined in an environment of toxic information.

Brazil´s international leadership, whether in bilateral relations or at Cop 30 in Belém and forums like the UN and the IACHR, will need to be even more assertive. Indeed, the policies and measures adopted in Brazil must be in line with human rights, so that the country can face the offensive announced by Trump against trans people, reproductive rights and his vow of mass deportations that could even affect Brazilian nationals living in the U.S.

U.S. society will face significant challenges as the Trump administration begins its agenda of reversing rights and civil liberties, along with a foreign policy largely influenced by Christian nationalism and contagious effects of disregard for democratic values. Experiences of resistance from communities, social movements, and organizations in different parts of the world, including in Brazil, are numerous and can and should contribute. The scenario unfolding after January 20 is extremely challenging, with profound impacts in the U.S. and on the global human rights agenda.