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Brazilians Remain Opposed to Death Penalty
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Most people in Brazil are against the death penalty, according to a poll by Instituto Sensus. 55.2 per cent of respondents share this opinion, practically unchanged since January 2001.
The South American country abolished capital punishment in 1979, with the exception of crimes of treason committed in a time of war. Brazil ratified the Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights to Abolish the Death Penalty in August 1996.
On Jan. 17, Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira—a 48-year old Brazilian man who was convicted on drug trafficking charges and sentenced to death in Indonesia—told a Brazilian newspaper that he hopes his country’s government does something to help him. Cardoso Moreira has said he wants to avoid execution and pay a sentence of life in prison or 20 years in prison instead.
In late January, Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wrote a personal letter to Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhonono asking him to spare the Brazilian prisoner’s life, saying, "I wish to address a matter of humanitarian concern. (...) I count on your generosity so that the matter does not create a reaction in the Brazilian public opinion which could possibly have an impact on our relationship. A relationship that both of us wish to strengthen."
Polling Data
People in Brazil hold differing views on some controversial issues. As I go through this list, tell me if you’re in favour or against each one - The Death Penalty
|
|
Jan. 2010 |
Jan. 2001 |
|
In favour |
41.2% |
39.4% |
|
Against |
55.2% |
55.6% |
|
Not sure |
3.6% |
5.1% |
Source: Instituto Sensus
Methodology: Interviews with 2,000 Brazilian adults, conducted from Jan. 25 to Jan. 29, 2010. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
