Brazil accuses UN human rights chief of meddling in state affairs

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro

Brazil criticised the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet for her remarks on alleged police violence and erosion of democracy in the South American country on Wednesday (local time).

President Jair Bolsonaro released a statement attacking Bachelet for her "disproportionate and unjustified" attention into Brazil's internal matters, noting that her office should be concerned with "more urgent matters".

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Earlier in the day, Bachelet had criticized alleged police violence in Brazil, saying in an interview in Geneva, that almost 1,300 people were killed in the first half of this year in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. The UN High Commissioner had stressed that Brazil has been experiencing "a reduction in the civic and democratic spaces" over the past months, with attacks against human right defenders.

Bachelet further said that official discourse has been "legitimising executions" in the country. In response, Bolsonaro criticised Bachelet, accusing her of interfering with Brazil's matters and "defending criminals' and vagabonds' rights" by attacking "valorous" policemen in the country.

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