Tapajós de Fato, an independent journalism outlet operating in the Brazilian Amazon, announced it will not cover this year’s presidential and legislative elections scheduled for 4 October. The decision follows years of documented threats and violence targeting the organization’s staff, including slashed tires, a severed cat’s head left at a founder’s residence, and a vehicle collision incident last July.
Founder Marcos Wesley Pedroso attributed the threats to the site’s reporting on environmental violations, Indigenous rights abuses, land disputes, and pesticide contamination in Pará state. While police have not identified those responsible for the incidents or confirmed connections between them, Pedroso stated the organization views them as linked to its investigative work. The site plans to continue online operations and environmental coverage but will deliberately avoid election-related reporting.
Journalism advocacy groups characterized the decision as a troubling consequence of attacks against media workers during electoral periods. The Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism documented 4,400 online attacks against journalists and outlets on social media platforms between late August and mid-September, representing a significant increase compared with the preceding two weeks. Legal coordinator Letícia Kleim noted that silencing journalists affects not only affected communities but democratic processes broadly.
Context for the threats stems partly from the political climate of recent years. Former president Jair Bolsonaro, who routinely attacked media outlets and made threatening statements toward reporters, is currently serving a sentence for attempting a coup. However, his son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, currently polls competitively against incumbent president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Environmental advocates and NGOs expressed concern about potential policy directions, noting that previous administrations’ anti-environmental positions contributed to increased deforestation and criminal activity in the Amazon region.
Tapajós de Fato’s leadership emphasized the decision came reluctantly after reporting threats to authorities for years without resulting investigations. Pedroso acknowledged the organization’s role in educating and informing local communities but stated circumstances left no alternative option available.
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