Amazon News Site Halts Election Coverage After Death Threats
Tapajós de Fato will not cover the upcoming Brazilian elections following a series of violent threats and intimidation against its staff in Pará.
The independent journalism website Tapajós de Fato announced it will cease coverage of the upcoming Brazilian elections starting October 4 to protect its staff from persistent threats. Founder Marcos Wesley Pedroso reported a history of intimidation in the state of Pará, including a targeted car crash, slashed tires, and a severed cat's head left as a warning. Pedroso attributes these attacks to the site's reporting on Indigenous rights violations, pesticide contamination, and land disputes.
While the outlet will continue to report on environmental issues, the team decided to avoid election reporting due to the high security risks to their lives and families. The decision occurs during a polarized political climate where incumbent president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro are tied in the polls.
The Comitê Chico Mendes and the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism condemned the threats, describing them as a form of censorship. Letícia Kleim of the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism noted that silencing journalists in the region affects democracy by cutting off vital information from within the Amazon.
