A far-right populist known as “Brazil’s Trump” has formally thrown his hat into the ring for this autumn’s presidential election, igniting a campaign already beset by infighting and hostility on both sides.
Opponents have been outraged by his overtly racist and homophobic rhetoric. But his supporters see he him as the only person to clean up the corrupt and crime-ridden country.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Only a few months ago, most experts regarded Bolsonaro as unelectable due to his radical positions, his record as an apologist for military dictatorship and torture, his offensive comments and his lack of major party affiliation.
“Although these may still prove insurmountable obstacles to his election, many now see him as a dark-horse candidate—a populist outsider whose anti-establishment rhetoric may yet propel him to victory,” says Foreign Policy.
Bolsonaro is in favour of loosening Brazil’s gun control laws and is staunchly anti-abortion, winning him the support of millions of evangelical Christians who could be crucial in a closely fought campaign.
His rallies are characterised by raucous crowds who mimick guns with their fingers, says ABC News – “a hand sign that the former military officer has made popular”.
Like the US president, his stump speech often contains promises to shake up the status quo, fill his cabinet with military officers and take Brazil out of the Paris climate accord.
Despite standing for the little-known Social Liberal Party, Bolsonaro is polling second behind former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is currently serving a jail sentence for corruption and is unlikely to be allowed to stand in October.
This could open the way for Bolsonaro, but while some surveys suggest many Brazilians see him as the man to take control of crime and corruption, “he also has a high rejection rate, which could make it tricky for him to win if the vote were to go into a run-off”, reports the BBC.
-
Youth revolts rattle Morocco as calls against corruption grow louderTHE EXPLAINER Snowballing controversy over World Cup construction and civic services has become a serious threat to Morocco’s political stability
-
Israel intercepts 2nd Gaza aid flotilla in a weekSpeed Read The Israeli military intercepted a flotilla of nine boats with 145 activists aboard along with medical and food aid
-
Gold tops $4K per ounce, signaling financial uneaseSpeed Read Investors are worried about President Donald Trump’s trade war
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
Brazilian ‘bandit bill’ prompts mass protests over potential Bolsonaro pardonIN THE SPOTLIGHT Efforts to evade consequences for an attempted coup and civic unrest have pushed thousands into the streets
-
Passing sentence in Brazil: the jailing of Jair BolsonaroIn the Spotlight In convicting Brazil’s former president, its Supreme Court has sent a powerful message about democratic accountability – but the victory may be only temporary
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
