In presidential vote, Brazil longs for change, but some say democracy is in danger

A desire for radical change among many Brazilians after years of unrest has fueled the rise of a former right-wing army captain who, according to his supporters, will fight crime and the corruption he was elected president Sunday, but that opponents warn threatens one of the world's largest democracies.

Jair Bolsonaro convinced voters by describing Brazil at war – with criminals, corrupt politicians and leftist ideas that could turn the country into Venezuela – and promising to change the course of action with force and a own governance. As Sunday's poll approached, polls showed Bolsonaro a double-digit lead over rival Fernando Haddad, the left-wing candidate of the Workers' Party.

His rise was fueled by the disgust of the Brazilian political system after a mbadive corruption scandal and prolonged recession. In particular, many Brazilians are furious with the Workers Party for its role in the corruption program, known as "Carwash", and Haddad has struggled to fulfill his promises of a return to the period prosperity by investing in the health, education, and education sectors. reduce poverty.

"If you experience three simultaneous crises – economic, political and moral, in an ethical way – I think you create a perfect scenario for outsiders and marginal and authoritarian candidates," said Oliver Stuenkel, badociate professor of 39, international education. relations at the University Fundacao Getulio Vargas de Sao Paulo. "It is not unlikely that we are witnessing an erosion of Brazilian democracy, we are already seeing it now."

Many in Brazil and beyond have expressed concern about a decline in civil rights and a weakening of institutions in a still young democracy, especially since Bolsonaro became nostalgic for the 1964-1985 Brazilian military dictatorship and announced that he would appoint soldiers to his cabinet.

More than a dozen members of the US Democratic Congress have written a letter urging US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to state that US aid to Brazil and its cooperation with Brazil "depend on the respect of fundamental human rights and democratic values ​​by its leaders ".

The last years in Brazil have been exceptionally turbulent. In 2016, the president of the Workers Party, Dilma Rousseff, was indicted and dismissed, accused by many leftists of having political motives. The economy has suffered a two-year recession and is only beginning to emerge, with stagnant growth and high unemployment. And dozens of politicians and leaders have been jailed in Carwash's corruption investigation, which revealed a multi-billion dollar ploy to swap public contracts and official favors against jars. wine and bribes.

This instability sparked extreme anger against the political clbad, but also revealed deep divisions in Brazilian society. This campaign has been the most polarized in decades. Many politically motivated violence has been reported, especially against gay men, which Bolsonaro denigrated. Bolsonaro himself was stabbed and nearly died at a campaign event in early September.

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Many observers have predicted that a newcomer would emerge to exploit this anti-establishment anger. Instead, support rallied around Bolsonaro, who is and is not an outsider: he has sat for nearly three decades in Congress, but he has often been on the sidelines of this institution and has introduced himself like the strong man Brazil needed to survive. dismantle a failed system. Reinforcing her rebel image is her reputation for offensive statements and sometimes extreme views, including insulting women, gays and blacks.

The Bolsonaro campaign was initially successful with its promise to tackle a violent crime in a country that leads the world in homicide and where many Brazilians live in daily fear. badault or burglary. But his wishes to loosen the gun laws and give the police more freedom in the use of force against the suspects have also caused fears that a Bolsonaro presidency will not lead bloody repression and erosion of civil rights.

The campaign gained momentum by conquering much of the business world by promising to implement market-friendly reforms that would reduce the size of the Brazilian state, including removing government departments and privatizing state-owned enterprises.

Haddad has taken the opposite step by promising to double investments in education, health and social programs, saying that Brazil's progress in reducing poverty during the boom years has eroded. and that the poorest suffer.

The last group in the Bolsonaro coalition is made up of people who despise the Workers' Party above all else, accusing them of the worst excesses of the system of corruption.

"The race was very polarized and in a polarized race, more people seemed to want to hold their noses and vote for Bolsonaro than for a candidate considered a moderate within the [Workers’ Party], which illustrates the frustration with [the party] as well as the number mistakes they made during the campaign, "said Matthew Taylor, badociate professor at the School of International Service at American University in Washington.