On October 2nd, 2022, Brazilians headed to the polls to vote for a host of candidates running for multiple roles at both the national and regional levels. The most closely watched race was that for Brazil’s next president, pitting former president (and left-wing Worker’s Party candidate) Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva against far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. While Lula came out ahead in the first round (48.4% to Bolsonaro’s 43.2%), neither candidate was able to achieve a majority. Subsequently, the two will face off again in a runoff election on October 30. In this edition of Links We Like, we explore some of the salient issues surrounding the election in Brazil, what’s at stake for the country and the efforts that are being undertaken to push back against misinformation and right-wing populism. 

What the Election Means for Brazil

As one of the world’s largest democracies, and Latin America’s biggest economy, national elections in Brazil are closely watched and have outsized implications for both the region and the world. Against this backdrop, the rise of Bolsonaro (who took office in January 2019) has been especially troubling, considering his use of incendiary rhetoric against a host of vulnerable groups, including (but not limited to) women, the LGBT+ community, Indigenous people, and Afro-Brazilians. In addition, he has been outspoken in his admiration of both the military dictatorship that previously ruled Brazil, as well as other South American dictators. The quote at the beginning of this article is just one of many examples of his expressed contempt for democratic processes. Going beyond rhetoric, however, his policies and actions have provided additional evidence of this hostility towards democracy. He has attacked the country’s Supreme Court, threatened to cancel elections, and preemptively sowed doubt about the validity of election results, should they not go in his favor. Therefore, many national and international observers have speculated about the damage another Bolonaro term could have on Brazil’s already fragile democracy. 

Populism on the Rise

If many of these themes sound familiar, it is because Bolsonaro is a member of a club of international right-wing populists who have increasingly gained traction around the globe. Many of the same tactics have been employed by these politicians, the most famous of whom is former US President Donald Trump. In fact, the similarities between the two have led many outlets to refer to Bolosnaro as the “Trump of the Tropics”. In addition to the aforementioned attacks on minority groups and “political correctness”, these populists also share a penchant for spreading misinformation and undermining free and fair elections. Perhaps the most salient (and devastating) example of misinformation has been around the COVID-19 pandemic. As Data-Pop Alliance’s Julie Ricard examined in an article on the subject, Bolonsaro positioned himself as leader of the “COVID-denial movement”, which doubtlessly contributed to Brazil’s death toll from the virus becoming one the highest in the world. 

Another facet of this strain of populism is the fomenting of doubt around the validity of elections through disinformation, and the threat (or commision) of violence should the outcome not go their way. Just as Trump did in the United States, Bolonsaro has repeatedly raised the possibility of election fraud being used to rob him of victory. This (unsubstantiated) rhetoric also leads to the distinct possibility of violence following the election, as we saw during the January 6th assault on the US Capitol in response to Trump’s loss. Bolsonaro too has explicitly raised the specter of violence, telling supporters that they would “go to war” in the event of his defeat. 

The Pushback

So what is being done to pushback against these trends? Luckily in Brazil, there are signs of hope. Even before his first election, movements such as #EleNão (not him) were gathering to protest against Bolonsaro and his brand of politics. In fact, #EleNão, a woman-led movement countering misogyny, was one of the largest mass demonstrations in the country’s history. Since his election, a host of civil society actors (some of which are explored below) have sprung into action. Young volunteers (trained by UNICEF) have signed up to fight misinformation around COVID-19. The city of São Paulo elected Brazil’s first transgender councillor, Erika Hilton, who was vocal in her oppostion to Bolonaro’s homo- and transphobia. The Supreme Court has launched investigations against Bolosonaro and his associates for their attempts to undermine the democratic order. Additionally, in a move that is of vital importance to the global climate, Indigenous groups have launched massive protests against his government’s destructive policies towards the Amazon Rainforest. These are only a few examples of citizen’s standing up to the politics of fear and division, and hopefully leading Brazil towards a more tolerant, sustainable and inclusive future. 

Join us in this edition of Links We Like, as we discuss the implications and possibilities of the 2022 Brazilian elections through the eyes of the authors and media cited in the resources below (in Portuguese and English).