April 25, 2022

As the two largest democracies in the hemisphere, the nearly 200 years of U.S.-Brazil partnership is built on a foundation and long-standing commitment to promoting democratic governance and human rights, strengthening our electoral and political institutions and processes, ensuring inclusion for all our citizens, and working to build international consensus to promote the rule of law, human rights, democracy, and stability in the region and beyond.

• • The U.S and Brazil expanded collaboration on human rights, restarting the U.S.-Brazil Human Rights Working Group in February. Both countries agreed to:
    1. strengthen democratic governance and human rights in the region;
    2. combat racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism; and
    3. collaborate in multilateral fora to promote protections for the rights of vulnerable groups, including women, Indigenous peoples, religious minorities, LGBTQI+, people of African descent, and environmental defenders.

• At the Summit for Democracy, Brazil submitted commitments to strengthen democracy and the rule of law, including to ensure free and fair elections, increase women’s participation in politics, and guarantee the right to freedom of expression and assembly.
• At the Summit for Democracy, the United States announced commitments to bolster a free and independent media; fighting corruption; defending free and fair elections; strengthening civic capacity, including: political leadership of women, girls, and marginalized communities.
• Brazil is a leader on refugee issues, providing a safe haven to hundreds of thousands of refugees and humanitarian visa holders, such as Venezuelan, Haitian, Afghan and Ukrainian nationals.
• Since 2017 the United States has provided nearly $120 million in humanitarian assistance for Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Brazil, focused on shelter, emergency food assistance, water and sanitation, health and psychosocial services.
• Since 2020 the United States has invested more than $20 million to combat human trafficking together with Brazilian and international partners.
• The United States and Brazil engage in ongoing capacity development and experience sharing on disaster response, professional military education, counterterrorism, and rule of law.
• The United States just launched an $880,000 program to support Rio de Janeiro’s police and security services with technology, training, and related engagement.
• Both Brazil and the United States voted on Ukraine/Russia resolutions in the UN Security Council, UNHRC, UNGA, and IAEA to help urge a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine.
• Both Brazil and the United States have spoken out in defense of democracy and human rights in the region, including on Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and other regimes committing abuses against their citizens.

By U.S. Mission Brazil | 25 April, 2022 | Topics: Democracy & Human Rights, Fact Sheets, U.S. & Brazil, U.S.-Brazil Priorities