Brazil is a country at the crossroads right now. Years of corruption, political chaos, and the late military junta have left the nation with an interesting – though far from unique – situation. Electoral politics are set to fail the growing country, as the popular Leftist candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva remains imprisoned and disqualified, and the proto-fascist candidate Jair Bolsonaro now leads the polls. Bolsonaro’s apparent fondness for the old military junta, his socially reactionary views, and his unwavering support of predatory capitalism present a grave threat to Brazil.
The recent assassination attempt against Bolsonaro, having failed to kill the candidate, seems to have presented him as what essentially amounts to a martyr. His popularity has surged in the wake of the attack, and with Lula removed from the race, he stands to win the Presidency of Brazil. This, in my opinion, presents a grave threat not only to Brazil, but to the western hemisphere as a whole. As the United States stands as the dominant power of North America, Brazil is the dominant power of South America. It holds weight in the politics of the region. If the country falls to this ideology of proto-fascism, it is likely to spread throughout the region, almost akin the Cold War’s Domino Theory, but in reverse. Combining a Bolsonaro victory with the general resurgence of authoritarian nationalism throughout the world could be catastrophic for the South American environments – political, economic, and ecological.
If and when Bolsonaro wins the election, the neighboring South American states must present a united front against this reactionary ideology, or face a wave of authoritarianism reminiscent of Pinochet or Peron. The welfare of two groups – corporations and the ruling social class – will be placed above all others, at potentially dire consequence.
Brazil faces a tough decision, and the world will be watching