lo-de-alla.org

Three articles

Dilma makes amends with Catholics and evangelicals

[Translated from Hora do Povo of São Paulo for October 1. See original article here.]

The candidate of the Para o Brasil Seguir Mudando [So Brazil Will Continue Changing] coalition, Dilma Rousseff, held a meeting with representatives of catholics and evangelicals on Wednesday, September 29, in which she made a statement denying defamatory messages spread through the internet that accuse her of declaring that not even Jesus Christ could take this election away from her and that she would favor abortion and marriage between persons of the same sex.

“I reject totally statements that claim I used the name of Christ to say that not even he could defeat me in this election. It is slander, it is villany,” she said, emphasizing that these attacks represent a “defamatory campaign” against her candidacy. “These rumors come from the political underworld and are typical of the end of a campaign,” she declared.

Dilma reaffirmed values like the freedom of beliefs and defended the cooperation between the government and religious bodies in the areas of education and the rehabilitation of the chemically dependent. The candidate again declared her opposition to abortion and said she is not trying to promote a plebiscite on the subject. “It is a question that only divides the country. And in the end everybody loses,” she stressed.

The president of the Conselho Nacional de Pastores do Brasil [National Council of Pastors of Brazil], Bishop Manoel Ferreira, said Dilma is “an instrument of God and President Lula” to continue bringing about change that Brazil needs.

Besides the 27 religious leaders who met with the presidential candidate, the leader of the Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus [Universal Church of the Reign of God], Bishop Edir Macedo, published on his official web page a message repudiating the rumors, some of which had supposedly religious connotations. In his letter he said Dilma is the victim of “lies spread on the internet” and accused the authors of the defamatory e-mails of playing “the devil’s game.”

“We should point out that ill-intentioned persons have managed to confuse many citizens with ill-conceived lies for the purpose of confusing the serious work of some candidates,” Macedo commented, indicating that the comment attributed to Dilma in the rumors circulating on the internet that “not even Jesus Christ could prevent her victory” were never said by the candidate.

______________________________________

Feminists launch platform for legalization of abortion
Action marks International Day of Struggle for the Legalization of Abortion

[Translated from Brasil de Fato of São Paulo for September 28. See original article here.]

By Jorge Américo

Feminist organizations from several Brazilian states have joined together around an effort in defense of the legalization of abortion to be launched this Tuesday, Septmber 28, International Day of Struggle for the Legalization of Abortion. In São Paulo, the opening event was held in the Praça do Patriarca. A participant in the Marcha Mundial das Mulheres [World March of Women], Sônia Coelho, explained that the objective is to resume the debate.

“We want on this September 28 to launch a platform to carry on the debate on the reality of clandestine abortions in Brazil and what it means for women in our society not to have the right to choose about their lives and about motherhood.”

Every year there are 42 million abortions in the world. The estimate for Brazil is more than 1.25 million cases. Complications from the practice already represent the third leading cause of maternal deaths in the country. Sônia Coelho argued that the provisions of the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS – Unified Health System) should be reviewed.

“Often these religious institutions end up imposing their values, their principles. In the case of women’s health, we want all women to have access to birth control methods. Often women suffer because these sectors do not approve of the use of condoms, do not approve of emergency contraceptives. So they end up limiting the rights of women to be able to use the services of SUS.”

In May of 2010, the chamber of deputy’s Comissão de Seguridade Social [Social Security Committee] approved a measure granting financial aid to women who have been vicitms of rape who do not have abortions.

________________________________________

Marina accuses Dilma of changing her position on abortion to gain votes.

[Translated from O Povo for September 30. See original article here.]

By Lidiane Alves

Presidential candidate Marina Silva (PV — Partido Verde, Green Party) yesterday accused her opponent Dilma Rousseff (PT – Partido dos Trabalhadores, Workers’ Party) of changing her position on the legalization of abortion in order to gain votes. She questioned the sincerity of the workers’ party candidate, who earlier in Brasília said she is against abortion and claimed there were election-eve religious rumors against her.

“I am not making an argument of convenience. Minister Dilma has already said she was in favor and later changed her position,” Marina criticized.

“I don’t think that in topics like this you should make an argument one way at one time and another way at another time just to please the electorate.”

The senator reiterated that she is in favor of a plebiscite. An evangelical, she says she is against abortion for religious reasons. The PV argues in its platfom for legalization.

Tags: abortion, Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, Green Party, Marina Silva, Partido dos Trabalhadores, Partido Verde, same-sex marriage, Workers' Party

This entry was posted on Friday, October 1st, 2010 at 1:37 pm and is filed under Brazil. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.