Evangelical manifesto in favour of decriminalisation at Brazilian National Congress

News

Evangelical manifesto in favour of decriminalisation at Brazilian National Congress

13 May 2013

Signed by more than 100 Evangelical leaders, a letter in favor of the decriminalization of drug users, was handed in this Tuesday, May 7th, to the president of Brazil’s National Congress, Henrique Eduardo Alves. The handing in of the letter occurred at a pivotal moment in the discussion of possible drug reforms at the National Congress.

In the document, the religious signatories asked for Osmar Terra’s bill, 7663/2010, to not be voted for, and proposed the possibility of changing some of the bill’s main points, such as what it says in respect to compulsory internment.

Basing itself on the religious trinity, goodness-righteousness-truth, the group supports the construction of a new drug policy that alters the law 11.343/2006 and establishes more objective criteria between drug users and traffickers.

The leaders also defend that chemical dependent peoples have the constitutional right to health, education and social integration. In order to read the official manifesto handed in this Tuesday, access the following article: Evangelists sign a letter in opposition to PL 7663/2010.

In addition to helping make Tuesday's event possible, Viva Rio participated in Ethan Nadelmann's talk - "Drogas: O Brasil não pode retroceder - Lições dos EUA" / "Drugs: Brasil Cannot Fall Behind - Lessons from the U.S.". The event, which was organized by the the Igarapé Institute, Brazilian Commission on Drugs and Democracy (CBDD), Pense Livre Network and the Global Commission on Drug Policy, spurred an interesting debate on the ways that Brazil can move forward with a more efficient and humane drug law. To read more, see the Brazilian
Commission on Drugs and Democracy article on the event.

Read here the full article.

Keep up-to-date with drug policy developments by subscribing to the IDPC Monthly Alert.