Mobilization is part of the “#User is not a criminal” campaign; Senate approved the proposal on April 16
Civil society entities opposed to the PEC (Proposed Amendment to the Constitution) 45 of 2023, which prohibits the possession and possession of all drugs, including marijuana, held an event this Wednesday morning (April 24, 2024) Esplanade of Ministries in front of the National Congress.
The mobilization is part of the “#User is not a criminal” campaign and aims to raise awareness about the over-incarceration of vulnerable people and minorities.
The Senate approved the drugs PEC on April 16 in 2 rounds. The text went to the Chamber of Deputies. The proposal was authored by the president of Casa Alta, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG). The senator took the initiative after the STF (Supreme Federal Court) resumed voting on an action to decriminalize the possession of marijuana for personal use.
Activists took a cell to represent over-incarceration in prisons in the country. The organizations also highlighted possible human rights violations as one of the consequences of the approval of the PEC, such as an increase in the discriminatory potential of police approaches and violence against the black and favela population.
Representatives from IDPN (Institute for the Defense of the Black Population), IDDD (Institute for the Defense of the Right to Defense), PBPD (Brazilian Drug Policy Platform) and the NOSSAS collective participated in the event.
