Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we see human rights abuses? Will it?

Zoe Hatsios

According to the U.N. Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, human rights abuses are violations of ‘economic, social, and cultural rights’ that occur ‘when a State fails in its obligations to ensure that they are enjoyed without discrimination or in its obligation to respect, protect and fulfil them.’

Recently, President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil was formally accused of and condemned for ‘crimes against humanity’ and guilty of ‘mass homicide’ by groups of Brazilian senators. Brazil’s COVID-19 death toll is the highest in Latin America and the second-highest in the world. Meanwhile, President Bolsonaro continues to downplay the effects of the virus and discourage vaccine usage. Additionally, Indigenous people have been denied proper healthcare amidst a system of proclaimed ‘public universal health.’

An article from The Hill released on Saturday expresses near certainty that these charges brought against Bolsonaro will have any legal impact. He has displayed gaslighting techniques in virtually every situation he places himself in – denying a virus that he himself has recently contracted.

These pandemic-related concerns serve as supplementary factors in his ill treatment towards the people of his country, who are already starving, suffering from environmental destruction, and consistently being fed misinformation. Bolsonaro was previously criticized for expanding access to firearms by 65% amidst Brazil’s position as a leading country in deaths by firearm, as reported by Amnesty International.

Sound familiar?

The death toll in the U.S. is higher than the 600,000 lives lost in Brazil. However, despite losing the 2020 election (and many of his followers due to his late-term behavior), Donald Trump has not been brought against a court for similar ‘crimes against humanity.’ Despite wide public knowledge of Trump’s pandemic opinion, he was never tried for the deaths directly caused by his negligence during the early stages of the pandemic.

This comparison begs the question of how unbiased our international courts (and realistically, news) are. Bolsonaro has been president since 2019, having not even completed half of his term, whereas Trump held a full four years. Will developments in the Bolsonaro case change the standards by which global NGOs and international law see anti-humanitarian leaders? The answer is likely not – but importantly – the COVID-19 has allowed this to be a real future possibility, as the cruel intentions of numerous global leaders have been put on display.