Brazil’s Far-Right Revival: A Warning Sign for Democracy

The streets of Juiz de Fora, a city in the battleground state of Minas Gerais, are abuzz with fervent supporters of Flávio Bolsonaro, the far-right senator and son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. As the October 4 election looms, it’s clear that this is no ordinary campaign trail – Brazil’s future hangs precariously in the balance.

In recent weeks, corruption scandals surrounding President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s son have given the Bolsonaro camp a significant boost. Progressives are now despairing at the prospect of their country falling back into the hands of a radical right-wing movement that nearly seized power after Jair Bolsonaro’s loss in 2022.

The nostalgia for the Bolsonaro era is palpable, with devotees donning yellow football shirts and headbands emblazoned with “Lula out!” as they welcome Flávio to town. However, this fervor masks a more insidious threat: the erosion of Brazil’s democratic institutions.

Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign has built on a promise to restore order and stability by portraying his father’s ousting as an injustice perpetrated by left-wing “socialist” forces. Beneath this rhetoric lies a disturbing precedent – one that should send shivers down the spines of democracies worldwide.

The parallels with Jair Bolsonaro’s own rise to power are striking. Like his son, he rode a wave of populist fervor and authoritarian nostalgia into office in 2018. What followed was four years of unbridled destruction: Amazon rainforest clearance, skyrocketing gun ownership, and the Covid outbreak – which Bolsonaro’s government mishandled with disastrous consequences.

Bolsonaro’s regime also saw a resurgence of military influence, culminating in the January 2023 riots in Brasília. The supreme court characterized those disturbances as an attempt to “annihilate” Brazil’s democracy, a stark warning sign that is being ignored at our peril.

Flávio Bolsonaro’s confidence in his ability to win Minas Gerais, the bellwether state, is understandable. His recent campaign swing has been met with fervor from supporters who see him as a modernizing force. However, this ignores the fact that Brazil’s hard right has always maintained a strong presence in Juiz de Fora – a city with a history of radicalism and military intervention.

Nikolas Ferreira, a far-right congressman from Minas Gerais, claimed, “Barring some kind of leftwing trickery, Flávio Bolsonaro can already be considered president.” This statement speaks to the pervasive sense of entitlement among Brazil’s far right – an attitude that dismisses democratic norms and institutions as relics of the past.

The stakes are high in this election. A Flávio Bolsonaro presidency would not only resurrect his father’s disastrous policies but also embolden a movement that seeks to undermine democracy itself. This is a prospect that should keep us up at night – not just for Brazil, but for the global community.

As Thomas Traumann, a political analyst, noted, “It’s a coin flip” – and one that could have far-reaching consequences for the world’s largest democracies. The Brazilian people must choose wisely, recognizing the gravity of this moment in their nation’s history and the implications it holds for democracy worldwide.

The fate of Brazil’s democracy hangs precariously in the balance. As we watch this election unfold, it’s essential to remember that the preservation of democratic institutions is not just a Brazilian concern – but a global one.