On 31st October, left-wing candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva beat Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s right-wing, ultra-conservative President of four years, in the race for the presidency by the narrow margin of 1.8%. For many, this is a triumph as it brings to a close the era of Jair Bolsonaro, nicknamed ‘the Trump of the tropics’ due to the threat that he posed to democracy, as well as his history of racist, sexist and homophobic comments and admiration of military authoritarianism. How is Bolsonaro’s defeat a victory for democracy and how did Bolsonaro’s presidency endanger the world and democratic institutions?
Jair Bolsonaro at a campaign rally on 24 September 2022
Bolsonaro’s Impact on Brazil
Firstly, a detrimental effect of Bolsonaro’s presidency was the negative impact that his rule had on the country and people of Brazil and how his policies have affected society. In terms of social policies, Bolsonaro is known for his pejorative views on women, gay rights and other minorities. Once elected, Bolsonaro, who in 2011 said that he would prefer a dead son to a gay son, appointed a minister of education who shut down a section of the ministry devoted to diversity and human rights and the discussions of gender identity in the classroom. Bolsonaro also told a fellow female member of Parliament “A few days ago you called me a rapist in the Green Room, and I said I wouldn't rape you because you're not worthy of it”. The spread of these denigrating views on women, the LGBTQ community and racism is incredibly harmful to society as it hampers the progress made on these issues over the past few decades and encourages inequality.
Through some of these right-wing and regressive beliefs, Bolsonaro has received a lot of support from evangelical Christians who wrongfully portray him as a protector of family values through policies like the illegality of abortion in Brazil. Furthermore, Bolsonaro is a big admirer of the Brazilian military dictatorship, which presided from 1964 to 1985 and expanding gun rights has been fundamental in Bolsonaro’s campaign. One of Bolsonaro’s first acts as President was signing an executive order relaxing gun laws. This has helped to arm his supporters as approximately 2 million households in Brazil now own guns. Just last month he told his supporters to “Buy your guns! It’s in the Bible!”, illustrating how Bolsonaro’s actions have increased the risk of violence in Brazil.
Bolsonaro’s Impact on the World
Secondly, Bolsonaro’s policies have harmed not just Brazil but the entire world through his disregard of climate change and neglect of protecting the Amazon Rainforest. Over the course of his presidency, there has been a shocking 52.9% increase in deforestation and a 70% faster burning rate of the Amazon than in previous years. Bolsonaro has also approved over a thousand new pesticides and has refused to recognise indigenous land.
Furthermore, Bolsonaro’s administration has dismantled government bodies responsible for enforcing laws to protect the rainforest and monitor its environment, such as cutting the funding of the IBAMA, which is responsible for environmental policies. The rainforest is essential in the fight against climate change as the loss of the rainforest will result in more carbon emissions and fewer trees which can reverse some of the effects. Bolsonaro’s presidency has proven to be a danger towards the environment and the future of the planet and generations to come.
Bolsonaro’s Impact on Democracy
Supporters of Bolsonaro hold signs reading ‘Federal Intervention’, calling on the military to keep Bolsonaro in power on 1st November 2022
Thirdly, the biggest effect of Bolsonaro’s presidency has been the threat to democracy which he has posed. Throughout his rule, Bolsonaro has challenged the institutions of democracy, such as the Supreme Court and the Congress, as he sees these as obstacles to his power. As a result, many of Bolsonaro’s supporters now believe that institutions that do not support Bolsonaro are not to be trusted. On Independence Day last year, 7 September 2021, Bolsonaro attacked the Congress and the Supreme Court by stating that these institutions were persecuting him and that “Only God will remove me from Power”, as well as suggesting that the voting system is manipulated. Consequently, many of his supporters called for the closing of the Supreme Court and Congress. This is very dangerous as undermining people’s belief in the democratic institutions could last for generations and lead to long-term issues such as rioting and political violence. Democracy is very fragile and only works if everyone believes in it. Therefore, Bolsonaro’s begrudging acceptance of defeat on 2 November 2022, two days after the election results were announced, was extremely important as otherwise worse political violence could have stirred up.
Although Lula may not be flawless himself, he is vital in ensuring the stability of the country and to a certain extent the world, through his support of democracy and his actions to protect the Amazon Rainforest. We can all agree that Lula is significantly better than a leader who threatens the planet, democracy and basic human rights.
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