The "Bolsonaro Effect"

Tavares Furtado, Henrique

Abstract

It sounds like a distasteful joke, but Brazilians are on the verge of electing a far-right president (Jair Messias Bolsonaro) and it is difficult to estimate what this means to progressive forces in Brazil. Español Português It sounds like a distasteful joke, but Brazilians are on the verge of electing a far-right president. After winning the first ballot on 7 October, candidate Jair Messias Bolsonaro (Social Liberal Party) now leads the polls for the second ballot enjoying 58% of voting intentions (considering only the valid votes). It is difficult to estimate what this means to progressive forces in Brazil. Much more than a controversial figure, Bolsonaro has become famous for expressing openly homophobic, unapologetically misogynist, shamelessly racist and hysterically anti-communist views. The presidential candidate represents the ugliest and most violent face of the global far-right movement, currently on the rise in all corners of the world. Bolsonaro stands out as the messiah of what many have dubbed a conservative counter-offensive in the making after decades of leftist governments. A former military officer Bolsonaro remained a marginal figure within Brazilian politics for the good part of his 27 years as a congressman. Only recently has the far-right candidate experienced a stratospheric rise in notoriety. Bolsonaro stands out as the messiah of what many have dubbed a conservative counter-offensive in the making after decades of leftist governments.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 18, 2018
• Publication Date: Oct 18, 2018
• Deposit Date: Jan 8, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 22, 2019
• Journal: Open Democracy
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: Brazil, civil society, conflict
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/858615
• Publisher URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/democraciaabierta/henrique-furtado/violence-bolsonaro-effect-and-crisis-of-brazilian-democracy
• Contract Date: Jan 8, 2019