Bolsonaro

1-Presentation

Today I’m going to talk about the election of the far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil on 28th October 2018. First of all, I’m going to present you the Brazil’s political history, then I’m going to introduce you to the man Bolsonaro and finally I’ll sum up his campaign.

2- The history of Brazil: the Worker’s Party

The Workers' Party governed Brazil for more than 13 years under President Lula da Silva, and his successor Rousseff.

Lula was very popular after his policies which helped lift millions of Brazilians out of poverty.

In April with the “Operation Car Wash”, he was arrested and given a 12-year sentence for corruption and money laundering. Despite the arrest, Lula was running for a third term until he was banned from the election in September. His running mate, Haddad, replaced him and became the Worker’s party candidate.

For some Brazilians, voting for Bolsonaro was more about keeping the Workers' Party (PT) out of office. Indeed, all the major parties are corrupt, but the PT has created an infrastructure of corruption.

3- Jair Bolsonaro: the man and his convictions

Bolsonaro has a lot been compared to US President Donald Trump because he made controversy by making misogynistic, racist and homophobic remarks:

-He once told a congresswoman that she did not deserve to be raped because she was "very ugly".

-He also said publicly he'd prefer to see his son "die in an accident" than a member of his family be homosexual.

Besides, opponents voiced concerns that his victory could threaten human rights and ecological preservation for instance with his promise to industrialize the Amazon rainforest.

4-A controverted campaign

"This has been an unprecedented election" said a political science professor.

Indeed, Bolsonaro's victory is one of the most polarizing and violent political campaigns in Brazil's history with a prolonged recession, rising crime rates and widespread corruption scandals.

First, dozens of politically motivated acts of violence have been registered by the population.

For instance, Bolsonaro was stabbed in the stomach in september. The stabbing took him off the campaign trail for weeks as he recovered. But it also strengthened his position among Brazilians looking for a change.

Then, Bolsonaro's increased visibility motivated a social media movement known as #elenao, or #nothim, which gained support throughout the country and internationally.

For example, during his Brazil tour, the co-founder of Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, exhibited the slogan on stage in neon lights and sang "ele nao" with the crowd.

But protesters have also taken the song to the streets during a recent "Women Against Bolsonaro march" in Sao Paulo.

5-Conclusion

The election of Bolsonaro is a huge event in Brazil’s history but it is also a part of a regional movement in which there is a turn back to far-right policies such as in Colombia or Paraguay.

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