Brazil must urgently dismantle enduring systemic racism, says Special Rapporteur

RIO DE JANEIRO – Brazil must urgently dismantle enduring systemic racism, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, Ashwini K.P. said today, calling for bold and transformative action to address the issue.

“People of African descent, indigenous peoples, Quilombola communities, Roma people and those from other marginalised racial and ethnic groups in Brazil continue to experience multifaceted, deeply interconnected and pervasive manifestations of systemic racism, as legacies of colonialism and enslavement,” the Special Rapporteur said in a statement following a 12-day visit to the country.

She said this systemic racism had endured since the formation of the Brazilian state, despite sustained and courageous advocacy from marginalised racial and ethnic groups. The expert commended Brazil for recognising racial discrimination as a systemic phenomenon and adopting several robust laws and policies to prevent it.

“Despite these efforts, the lives of people of African descent, indigenous peoples, Quilombola and Roma persons is far too often marked, in many cases irreparably, by endemic racialised violence and exclusion,” the expert said. “This takes many forms, including unrelenting violations of the rights of indigenous and Quilombola peoples to their land, deep social, economic, cultural and political exclusion, environmental racism, mass incarceration in inhumane conditions and racialised police brutality,” Ashwini K.P said.

“The severity of the situation demands utmost urgency. Bold and transformative action to dismantle systemic racism cannot wait,” she said.

The expert noted that the pace of change did not match the urgency of the situation for marginalised racial and ethnic groups in Brazil. She pointed to significant gaps in the implementation and reach of laws and policies and said progress had been too slow on key racial justice issues.

“Those from marginalised racial and ethnic backgrounds have already waited far too long for justice and equality,” she said. “Lives depend on bolder and more immediate action.”

The Special Rapporteur urged the Government of Brazil to recognise, address and remedy root causes, historical drivers and geographical imbalance in addressing racism and underlying power structures of racism through a reparatory justice approach. She also urged Brazil to dedicate significantly more resources to anti-racial discrimination efforts and accelerate the pace of change.

The expert will present a report on her visit, including her findings and recommendations, to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2025.