Brazil: Jair Bolsonaro, provocation as a method of government

the president BrazilFar-right Jair Bolsonaro remains firm after nearly four years in office that have not changed his taste for outbursts, challenge to institutions and the polarization of Brazilian society.

The 67-year-old ex-army captain, nostalgic for the military dictatorship (1964-1985), launched his campaign on Tuesday ahead of the October 2 first round with a threatening speech.

Second in polls behind former president Luis Inacio Lula da SilvaBolsonaro warns of possible fraud by claiming flaws in Brazil’s electronic system without proof.

“Only God can take me out of power,” this former paratrooper, for whom this election is a battle between “good and evil,” has repeatedly said.

Fan of former US President Donald Trump, Bolsonaro He still enjoys the support of a significant portion of those who supported him in 2018: powerful arms and agribusiness lobbyists, as well as a large evangelical constituency.

At the same time, he is trying to attract the most vulnerable segments of the population with new social assistance.

Pandemic balance

His mandate has been marked by crises, starting with the COVID-19 pandemic, which he defined as a “little flu” while criticizing vaccines that can turn a person into a “crocodile.”

By speaking out against prevention measures and the vaccination campaign, Bolsonaro He maintained that he was not “guilty of anything”, despite the fact that the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry defended his indictment of “crimes against humanity”. So far, 680,000 people have died of covid in Brazil.

With the same defiance, he faced almost 140 impeachment requests filed in Parliament and the opening of several investigations against him in the Federal Supreme Court, notably for misinformation.

For this reason, he openly attacked justice, even threatening to stop the execution of decisions of the highest court.

Platforms such as YouTube and Facebook have also taken action against the far right by removing some of his videos making false claims.

Disregarding traditional media Bolsonaro communicates directly with its millions of followers on social networks. Last week, he did over five hours of interviews for the influencer’s podcast.

“outsider”

Internationally, he has been highly critical of several foreign leaders while remaining “neutral” about the invasion of Ukraine ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he met in Moscow weeks before the war.

One of the most bitter disputes was with French President Emmanuel Macron in 2019, when the Amazon burned, where deforestation broke records under his mandate.

Bolsonaro He came to power with an anti-corruption speech, presenting himself as an “outsider” despite being a federal deputy for three decades.

This man with blue eyes and simple syntax, often dressed in a loose shirt, seduced 55% of Brazilians despite his racist, misogynistic and homophobic statements.

He also vowed to end the violence, the “rotten” left and the economic crisis, which the pandemic, however, has contributed to.

His government, which had undergone multiple reconstructions, fell into the hands of a few officers, such as Vice President Hamilton Murao.

– “God above all” –

Jair Messias Bolsonaro was born in 1955 in Glicerio, a small town in the hinterland of São Paulo, to a family of Italian origin.

He learned to fish and along with his father Percy Geraldo. Bolsonaro”garimpeiro” in the Para jungle in the 1980s, also looking for gold.

He entered the military academy in Rio de Janeiro and entered into a military life punctuated by episodes of insubordination.

In his 27 years as a deputy in Brazil, he was the author of only two bills that were approved.

This self-described Catholic family protector has five children from three marriages.

His current wife, Michelle, is an ardent evangelist who rose to prominence in a campaign in which Bolsonaro once again uses his slogan:Brazil above all. God is above everything.”

Bolsonaro He is very close to his three eldest sons, all elected officials are currently under investigation for suspicion of corruption or spreading false information.

After a knife attack in the midst of the 2018 election campaign, Mr. Bolsonaro suffers from bowel problems, possibly chronic, for which he has been hospitalized several times.

AFP