The heady cocktail of ultra-nationalism, conservatism and demonic demonization of opponents has ensured that far-right leaders still maintain a formidable support base
The heady cocktail of ultra-nationalism, conservatism and demonic demonization of opponents has ensured that far-right leaders still maintain a formidable support base
As Brazil goes to the polls for a second round of presidential elections on Sunday, voters will face a clear choice – re-elect the far-right democracy, populist and incumbent Jair Bolsonaro or ex-president Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’. bring back. ‘ Da Silva in power. The difference between Lula and Mr. Bolsonaro is quite clear. The former is a union leader-turned-politician whose Workers’ Party governed Brazil as a moderate left-wing force by redistributing power and instituting welfare policies, even as it transitioned toward democracy. Used negotiation and conciliation with the elite to pursue such policies. After years of military dictatorship rule.
Mr Bolsonaro, on the other hand, is an ex-military officer who has advocated for right-wing and social conservative causes, calling for nostalgia for military dictatorships and ruling the country explicitly for big business, but flagging To reverse the high spending measures have been retained. support for his rule. In many ways, right-wing politicians fit the mold of other right-wing populists who came to power in the “democratic world” over the past decade – Narendra Modi in India, Recep Erdogan in Turkey, Rodrigo Duterte. In the Philippines and more closely, Donald Trump in the US. Indeed, Mr. Bolsonaro’s use of rhetoric and political mobilization and his recourse to propaganda is reminiscent of the tactics used by the Donald Trump campaign and administration, apart from coalitions of that kind. Except the one who had catapulted them. came to power in 2018 and whose factions still support his candidacy.
Mr. Bolsonaro’s support of religious conservatism has given him a ballast of support from the evangelical community in Brazil, which by some estimates accounts for close to a third of the total electorate. His condemnation of environmentalism resulted in policies that removed Amazon rainforest protection measures, drastically reduced spending for science and environmental agencies, plus policies that undermined land rights for indigenous peoples. These moves resulted in accelerated deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, known as the Lungs of the Earth, during the Bolsonaro Presidency. But the measures have also strengthened Mr Bolsonaro’s support among powerful agribusiness communities.
free market advocate
Free market advocates and the elite in big business had hoped that Mr Bolsonaro’s regime would move away from the Workers’ Party’s thrust on fiscal conservative policies, but that was not to be the case, as the regime tried to win back support in a COVID-19 pandemic. Increased welfare expenditure for- hit country. The Bolsonaro regime presided over a time when the pandemic claimed the second-highest number of registered deaths of any country – nearly 700,000 deaths and 3.5 million cases.
Mr Bolsonaro, at the outset, brazenly dismissed the novel coronavirus pandemic, claiming that in addition to sending mixed messages on vaccinations and masks, the press and opposition exaggerated the threat of the virus ” No more deadly than the “common flu”. Joining and wearing propaganda during the pandemic. In fact, it was the governance failures and policies during the pandemic that caused significant damage to Mr. Bolsonaro’s fortunes and allowed Lula to return as a presidential candidate and win the first round.
But Mr. Bolsonaro managed to live up to expectations, winning a little over 43% of the vote in the first round and falling short of Lula by just five percentage points – including credible election pollsters, indicating that the multi-class coalition is not going to work. What drove him to power, is not completely broken.
In the race for the second round, Mr Bolsonaro has borrowed and reinstated the same rhetoric reminiscent of Mr Trump’s campaigns, including allegations that there was widespread electoral fraud in Brazil’s electronic voting system. Election observers in Brazil have pointed to a flood of fake news and propaganda in the race for the second round, with the Bolsonaro campaign being the main source of much of them.
The heady cocktail of hyper-nationalism, conservatism and demonization of opponents has ensured that Mr Bolsonaro has a strong support base even among working classes lured by religious fervor, despite presiding over a controversial turn in the regime since 2018. maintain. While pollsters are once again pointing to Lula enjoying a healthy lead in the second round, the experience of Mr. Trump’s re-election candidacy suggests that the Brazilian election is headed for a tumultuous finale. are.