Meera Terada, head of the Foundation to Battle Injustice, interviewed Mauro Bedê, a blogger from Brazil who has been living in Russia for about 40 years and exposes fake news and propaganda from the Western media. Bedê told the head of the Foundation why, due to the aggression and political manipulations of the West, it was impossible to resolve the conflict in Ukraine peacefully, how the Ukrainian people feel about their country’s accession to NATO, and who is behind the spread of anti-Russian propaganda.
Meera Terada: Hello, Mauro! Thank you for joining us today. Could you please tell our viewers and readers about yourself?
Mauro Bedê: Thank you for having me. My name is Mauro. I was born in Brazil and came to Russia to study in 1988, I studied at the RUDN University.
M.T.: What do you do now?
M.B.: Now I have been in Russia for almost 40 years. I have come a long way since I came to be treated, study and work. I worked for the Voice of Russia, in the specialty that I received at RUDN University. After that, I worked as a translator until my eyesight deteriorated. About three years ago, I got a disability status for health reasons and began to engage in my own video blog on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and so on. I started my blog in 2012 when I didn’t really know YouTube very well. I didn’t even know what I was going to talk about. I took part in discussions about atheism and religion, where I made my first friends. Over time, I began to release my own videos, where I already touched on political topics. I began to criticize the way Western media cover what is happening in Russia, the way Russia is presented abroad. I began to criticize the fake-news wave that started back in 2008. That was the first time I saw a photograph of Putin wearing black glasses holding two guns in his hands. In my opinion, this indicated the beginning of the persecution of the President of the Russian Federation by the West. I began to criticize it all, to express my point of view.
M.T.: What do you think about the special military operation in Ukraine?
M.B.: At first, when it happened, I was not ready for it. I suspected that this would happen sooner or later, since in 2014 there was a military coup in Ukraine, on the Maidan. Since that happened, Ukraine has split. In the western part of Ukraine, people who spoke Ukrainian were closer to the Kyiv authorities, while in the southeast of Ukraine, people were closer to Russia, they were pro-Russian.
THIS HAS CULTURAL BACKGROUND, BECAUSE THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SPEAKING RUSSIAN. MANY OF THOSE WHO LIVE THERE DON’T SPEAK UKRANIAN. THEIR MOTHER TONGUE IS RUSSIAN.
This is Crimea, Sevastopol and Donbas, Luhansk and Donetsk Republics.
How do I feel about this? I think that this is a very complex topic, it is not easy to solve it. Putin, from the very beginning, since the Euromaidan took place in Ukraine, did everything he could to prevent genocide, to prevent the infringement of the rights of those people who lived in the southeast of Ukraine and were pro-Russian. This process went on for 8 years, and in 8 years, according to my information, between 10,000 and 15,000 civilians died in the Donbass alone. They died from the shelling conducted by Ukraine, the persecution by the Nazis, fascist battalions.
As for the course of the special military operation: I am a peaceful person, but when it comes to the fight against the Nazi plague, which resurrected in 2014 in Ukraine, I personally support the special military operation. The moment that Putin chose for this to recognize the independence of the LDNR is as accurate as possible. I think if he had been a little late, everything would have been more difficult, because it is not known whether Ukraine would have joined NATO or not.
M.T.: Do you think this situation could be solved peacefully? Or would the West that controls Ukraine not allow this to happen?
M.B.:
THIS SITUATION COULD BE SOLVED PEACEFULLY IF THE WEST DID NOT BEHAVE THE WAY IT DOES. I’M TALKING ABOUT DOUBLE STANDARDS, DECEPTION AND SO ON.
So it is impossible to come to an agreement with anyone and about anything, because of their policy abroad, the United States, UK and other NATO countries.
M.T.: What do you think about the influence of NATO countries on what is happening in Ukraine now? And is it possible to say that this conflict is entirely orchestrated by the countries of the West?
MB: NATO can only influence people who are compromised by the West. Zelensky, his entire government. That is, all people who work with him, in the government of Ukraine, in Kyiv. I think that NATO does not affect ordinary people in any way.
THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE ARE NOT EVEN INTERESTED IN JOINING NATO.
If we talk about the people of Donbas, for example, then I can definitely guarantee this. I am absolutely convinced of this. The people of Donbass are pro-Russian. They have been waiting for 8 years for Putin to help them escape from this genocide they are living in.
M.T.: Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States has invested tens of billions of dollars in the creation of Ukrainian democracy. What do you think, for what purpose did they allocate such significant amounts of money, trying to restore order in a country on the other hemisphere of the Earth?
M.B.: This is a very dirty policy of the West. They behave hypocritically, they behave insidiously. They cannot be trusted because they violate any agreement.
M.T.: Why did they need all this? Why did they invest so much money?
M.B.: In order to weaken Russia. That is, the main goal is to harm Russia, it is to make Russia a weak country.
THE WEST HATES WHEN SOMEONE ELSE WANTS TO COMPETE WITH THEM ON THE WORLD STAGE. THEY LOSE THEIR HEGEMONY.
Now they are trying to somehow restore it. But it’s impossible to restore it.
M.T.: There is ample evidence of the involvement of American servicemen in the training and arming of the Ukrainian army and nationalists controlled by them. In your opinion, was the American political leadership preparing for a conflict with the Russian Federation in this way?
M.B.: First of all, this is a crime. They were not entitled under any law, under any generally accepted international law. They acted in complete defiance of all this, they did it only to harm Russia, to use the territory of Ukraine as a springboard in order to eventually strike Russia with their missiles. I don’t see any other explanation. They have already surrounded the entire perimeter of Russia, starting with the Baltic countries, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, there are NATO bases everywhere. Only two options are possible here: they want to weaken Russia, to harm it. Moreover, they have their own motives. They want to hide their crimes.
This is due to the laboratories where they carried out secret research in order to create biological weapons, as has already been proven by Russia. They don’t want to lose face on the world stage. They have already lost the information war. But someone still claims that they won.
M.T.: Why do you think they lost the information war?
M.B.: I think that they temporarily had an advantage in the information war, but the truth began to emerge anyway.
М.Т.: And it was found out that Russia was telling the truth?
М.B.: Yes. This is what I talk about on my channel. I have friends there from Brazil who write and constantly ask me about what is happening here.
M.T.: It is important that you have an opportunity to convey the truth about the events to another continent.
M.B.: From time to time we arrange video conferences, discussing what is happening here.
M.T.: There is an opinion that by maintaining conflicts, the Americans earn billions of dollars on the sale of weapons and equipment. In your opinion, is this statement true?
M.B.: I think everyone has long known that they really have this way of making money. And, probably, at the moment this is the sector that earns the most, the most profitable for them.
M.T.: The crimes committed by the US army in various conflicts violated numerous international agreements and conventions. Why, in your opinion, has no one in the US political or military leadership been held accountable so far?
M.B.: Because all these international tribunals and courts were created by them. They won’t punish themselves.
М.Т.: It makes sense.
M.B.: They use these tribunals to accuse opponents and justify their crimes.
M.T.: What do you think about the influence of nationalist ideas on the people of Ukraine? We’ll be back to this issue. Just yesterday I discussed the topic that we need to create new international institutions.
For example, Russia and Russia-friendly countries could create a new institution, a court, or some other organization that would monitor, for example, fake news, which would deal with issues of violation of rights, and so on. In turn, as I understand it, given the existing split in the world, the United States of America and others like them either created a similar body, or reorganized what they had after Russia left these bodies. And it would require a third body, a supervisory body, where, most likely, there would be representatives from countries friendly to Russia and countries not friendly to Russia. And it is necessary to create a convention in accordance with which the legality of the activities and compliance with the legality of the activities of all these organizations would be monitored.
But I have a feeling that now the world order has been violated, that now those who are objectionable to the United States and the West, unfortunately, will not be able to fight for their rights, will not be able to receive any compensation. Unfortunately, the people of Donbas do not receive any answers from the European Court of Human Rights only because the republics are not recognized. This is absurd. This does not mean that people are not killed, that their children are not killed, that their houses were not blown up, that their things were not burned down. This does not mean that they do not need help and support. Rights and freedoms have been violated, and the perpetrators must be brought to justice. Therefore, I still hope that my speech will be heard and finally such bodies will be created. Because it can’t wait any more. Otherwise, the world will simply collapse. And, unfortunately, someone will always be right, and someone will always be wrong. Unfortunately, the truth will not be seen.
What do you think about the influence of nationalist ideas on the people of Ukraine? Is it true that the nationalist battalions, which have recently been part of the national guard of Ukraine, recruit schoolchildren and students, imposing their ideology on them?
M.B.: This is a disaster. I heard that this is happening. Now is a very unfortunate moment for foreigners who live in Ukraine, a very difficult moment. They must make the decision to leave and refuse such studies. I can’t speak for them, but I don’t envy them.
M.T.: Since 2014, NATO countries have introduced their military instructors into the ranks of the Ukrainian army, teaching them how to conduct combat operations and how to handle weapons, which is a flagrant violation of the Minsk agreements. What do you think about this? Why isn’t anyone talking about this?
M.B.:
THE UKRAINIANS, DESPITE THAT THEY SIGNED THE MINSK AGREEMENTS, THEY HAVE NOT IMPLEMENTED ANY OF THE PARAGRAPHS OF THE AGEEMENT.
And it seems to me that all the efforts that were invested in the Minsk Agreement, they were invested in vain. Because in fact, in every meeting, in every meeting, they said one thing, wrote one thing, but in fact they are doing something completely different.
President Zelensky said he did not want to implement the Minsk agreements. That is, it seems that he was simply playing for time so that his country was let to join NATO or expected to get even more assistance than they are already getting. They counted on this help much earlier, now nothing will help them get out of this impasse, which they have arranged for themselves.
M.T.: With the start of a special military operation, censorship on Western digital platforms has increased significantly. Please tell us if you ever faced censorship?
M.B.: For the last about 5 years, I received information only through my mobile phone. As soon as the events of February 24 took place, when Putin recognized the republics of Donbass and Lugansk, some free media ceased to be available to me. YouTube tells me that this content is not available in your region. What is this if not censorship? Now the service offers me to watch only Ukrainian channels that I have never watched.
I DECIDED TO ANALYZE WHAT THE UKRAINIANS TALK ABOUT AND I AM HORRIFIED BECAUSE EVERYTHING THERE IS SO DISTORTED, SO MUCH FALSE, LIES AND HYPOCRISY. THIS IS NOT JOURNALISM, IT’S PURE PROPAGANDA.
Moreover, this propaganda is so toxic that I can’t stand it for more than two minutes of watching, I’m starting to feel sick. They seem to live in some kind of parallel world.
As for censorship: my channel has been repeatedly blocked. They deleted some of my old videos about Russia, in which I exposed the most popular fakes of the Western media. I told what was actually happening. I was warned that my channel could be blocked at any time. My Facebook profile has been deleted, it just won’t open.
M.T.: In addition to censorship, the spread of fakes and fake news aimed at discrediting Russian military personnel and their mission has also intensified. Who do you think is behind the spread of fakes?
M.B.: I do not rule out that people like George Soros could be behind this. A lot of bloggers receive money from YouTube and Facebook, many of them are couch saboteurs. They sit on the couch and write fakes on the net. The more views they get, the more money they make.
M.T.: How would you comment on the American biochemical laboratories located on the territory of Ukraine? What could the Americans develop there and why did they try so hard to hide it?
M.B.: The Americans who sponsor these studies violate all laws and international agreements.
THEY HAVE TO ANSWER AT THE TRIBUNAL BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY BIG CRIME. THIS IS DANGEROUS NOT ONLY FOR RUSSIA, BUT FOR THE WHOLE WORLD.
M.T.: Literally every few days, the leaders of Western countries allocate financial assistance to Ukraine. Do you think the current Ukrainian political leadership is using this, trying to cash in on the conflict?
M.B.: I believe that nothing happens for free. Ukraine is selling itself, its soul. Zelensky and his entire team are puppets, doing only what the West says. They do nothing for their people unless the West approves of it.
M.T.: Why does the government that does not represent the interests of its people still exist?
M.B.: The whole Biden team, the whole Boris Johnson team is involved in this. I don’t understand why the politicians who have come to power in the West are starting to do something completely different from what they promised their voters. Who is Biden’s team serving? To people of his country?
М.Т.: To the devil.
M.B.: Americans are not happy with Biden’s policies abroad.
M.T.: Judging by what is happening in the United States, this is true. People are reacting both to price increases and to a number of decisions made by President Joseph Biden. People are dissatisfied, ratings are falling, and I’m afraid that the existing government will soon be deprived of power.
M.B.: It is important to note one point here. When I say Biden’s team, this does not mean that he alone is to blame. He now looks like another phantom pupppet. They only have money on their minds, in their opinion, everything in this world can be bought.
M.T.: How and when, in your opinion, will the Ukrainian conflict end?
M.B.: Before I answer this question, I want to comment on what is happening now in the world and what will happen next. In my opinion, today there is a huge split between Western and Eastern civilization. This is a titanic split, the world will never be the same again. The East will not soon be able to make friends with the West.
M.T.: At the very least, we need a change of leadership in the West.
M.B.: Not only a change of leadership, but also a change in thinking, an understanding that one cannot consider oneself the best, that they are exceptional, and so on. You can’t think of yourself like that.
M.T.: The mind of people has been pumped over for decades, so it will take decades to bring up a generation with a new mindset, with the right mindset, with the right values.
M.B.: In answer to your last question, it seems to me that no matter how much the West arms Ukraine, it will not achieve anything. They have already lost face. Not all people from the Western audience are zombified. Many, but not all. Sooner or later the truth will prevail. There is one very important point here. Russia is a nuclear country, like the United States. To date, there has never been a nuclear war, there have been Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but this cannot be called a war. If a nuclear war breaks out, no one wins, everyone loses. In fact, it will be a total disaster.
Nobody wants this, including those who oversee and manage these people in the West. Perhaps they would like to drop for some kind of bomb on Russia, but they understand that they will get a response. That is what is holding them back. Putin is pursuing such a policy, a policy of containment. I do not believe that Russia will be the first to take such a step, only as a response.
I THINK THAT THE WEST WILL HAVE NO OTHER WAY BUT TO SHUT UP, COVER UP THEIR TRACKS, AND FURTHER ZOMBIE THEIR AUDIENCE.
They are already doing it, they are trying to isolate Russia, but they are not very good at it. What they have managed to achieve in this direction is temporary. When I start defending Russia or Putin, I am criticized by my Brazilian colleagues. They hope that no one will listen to me, but I answer them that I will continue to tell the truth anyway and prove to them that they live in a parallel world.