By Erich Thomas Mafra
The Danish Jacob Mchangama, considered a global reference in the defense of freedom of expression and author of the work “Freedom of expression: from Socrates to social media”, will be in Brazil next week for a masterclass on the subject .
In an exclusive interview with Gazeta do Povo , the creator of the “The Future of Free Speech” project at Vanderbilt University (USA) issues a stark warning about Brazil. He points to the country as a notorious example of the “global recession of freedom of expression,” a phenomenon that affects even established democracies.
Drawing on comprehensive data from V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy), a global democracy measurement project, Mchangama reveals a crucial point: in countries where democracy weakens, freedom of expression is the first target. This is a clear sign, he says, that this right is not only important, but the most essential in a democracy.
Mchangama explains that, “without it, democracy is essentially meaningless. It is the guardian of all other rights.” To understand how this is measured, V-Dem delves into dozens of countries, assessing everything from free elections and press freedom to academic expression and information diversity, using a robust methodology that uncovers layers of censorship and self-censorship.
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Jacob Mchangama is the Founder and Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech. He is also a research professor at Vanderbilt University and a Senior Fellow at The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).