By creating obstacles or preventing political participation and the functioning of public institutions, and interfering with or interrupting elected terms, political and electoral violence compromises the integrity of democracy itself and constitutes a serious violation of human rights.
Peripheral and countryside regions and historically discriminated against groups are disproportionately affected by this type of violence. Consequently, these episodes end up destabilizing the representation and political participation of women, LGBTQIAP+ people, indigenous peoples, the black population, traditional communities, and workers, especially the poorest.
Following the murder of city (Rio de Janeiro, RJ) councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes, in 2018, Justiça Global began to monitor the issue more systematically. The organization sought to call attention to the violence that mainly affected those individuals working in the field of human rights and who began to experience violence after being elected or holding a public office.