Brazil’s Ukrainians condemn Putin’s “elections”

The Ukrainian community in Brazil has strongly denounced Putin’s “elections” and criticized the prominent political party of the country, the Worker’s Party, for extending congratulations to the Russian leader on his dubious “victory.”

“It’s widely recognized worldwide that elections in Russia are nothing short of a sham, with candidates either deceased, imprisoned, or stripped of their right to participate. There’s a glaring absence of press freedom, peaceful assembly, or demonstrations in the country. It’s essentially an autocracy, a form of imperialistic fascism. Applauding such a system is tantamount to endorsing it,” remarked Vitório Sorotiuk, President of the Ukrainian-Brazilian Central Representation (UBCR), in an interview with a leading Brazilian news outlet.

Romenio Pereira, Secretary of International Affairs for the left-centrist Worker’s Party, congratulated Putin for his supposed “victory” in the “elections”. Pereira himself acted as an observer during the voting process upon invitation from Russian politicians.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian community in Brazil remains steadfast in advocating for Ukraine’s interests. On March 19, Ukrainian Ambassador to Brazil Andrii Melnyk held discussions with Rafael Greca, the mayor of Curitiba. Vitório Sorotiuk, Honorary Consul of Ukraine Mariano Tchaikovsky, and representatives of the Ukrainian government attended the meeting.

Ambassador Andrii Melnyk expressed a keen interest in fostering fraternal ties between Curitiba and Lviv. “We’re aware that Curitiba shares a sisterhood with Kraków in Poland, and by including Lviv in this partnership, we could establish a triangle of collaboration. Curitiba boasts significant innovation, and Lviv is eager to learn from this experience,” Melnyk emphasized.

Previously, Vitório Sorotiuk, President of the Ukrainian Brazilian Central Representation, lamented the lack of awareness among many Brazilians regarding the true histories of Russia and Ukraine. He noted the scarcity of informational resources, such as books, documenting Ukrainian history in Brazil.