Trip to Rio favelas, a stronghold of voting in Jair Bolsonaro – 23/10/2018

Rio de Janeiro, corresponding

"The myth has arrived and Brazil has awakened, there is a hope of truth." With these verses sung to the rhythm of a catchy music and with the image of a giant born of Sugarloaf, there is no way not to be trapped by the video clip that symbolizes Jair Bolsonaro's campaign. In the Maré complex no one had any contact with him; but in this set of favelas that stretches north of Rio, the far-right candidate will win the laurels on October 28th.

Many of its supporters, in this poor and violent region sheltering 130,000 inhabitants, believe that the ultra-conservative MP will put an end to the almost daily conflagration of which the inhabitants are victims. "He will impose harsh penalties on criminals and will end up using drugs," said young Tais Ferreira, a student at the university. "Brazil needs someone who has a firm hand," said mother Ana Luiza. But among the neighbors, there is someone who repeats an analysis. Antonio Parente, trader and merchant of the "shopping center" of La Maré, says with conviction: "I vote for Bolsonaro because I do not want petralhas (as bolsonarism calls the supporters of the PT). They have stolen a lot and they are to blame for the gravity of our current situation. "Bet Bolsonaro is the real change that will bring some kind of" disinfection "of Brazil." Have you ever seen it in person? Have you come to visit them? ", Ask this correspondent." No But this is not necessary. I saw him on TV and I heard him. He will end up with what kills our boys and young people: drugs and trafficking. "

Neither the candidate nor his children try to explain their proposals. to solve the problems besetting the country: employment, public health, education and housing. Nobody imagines that it will come from Paulo Guedes, the future Minister of Economy, a fiscal adjustment that will weigh in the pockets of the less fortunate. Is the Liberal Social Party candidate's speech any other than a set of slogans based on the "defense of family values"? in zero tolerance with crime; rejection of "immorality" of politics and repudiation of the PT.

The sophisticated strategy implemented by the campaign of the right-wing deputy associates the severe speech with the signs of the approach of its voters; Of course, these are only gestures because, as he was stabbed in Juiz de Fora, the candidate did not appear in public anymore. This Tuesday, he received at his home visiting mayors of Brazilian cities. They, who said they represented more than 3,500 municipalities, presented him with a document and said: "We are entering the last moments of this day and our work will intensify: count on us, captain!" They then added that they would participate this Friday on the eve of the second shift in the process of obtaining 4000 memberships from mayors. To this, the bolonarists replied: "We always want to know the problems of stewards who know the population very closely".

The Mayors' Commission announced its arrival on behalf of the National Front of the Intendance and the National Confederation of Municipalities. Both entities, however, denied having participated in the meeting. EThe Front, which represents four hundred cities, said he did not know the document, or even that he would go to that meeting. The Confederation also did not know that two dozen mayors had supported Bolsonaro. That did not stop Onyx Lorenzoni, the future chief cabinet minister (if the candidate wins in the second round), told the press after this appointment: "We live in cities, not in states Provincial or in a fiction called Brasilia Over the past 50 years, all resources have been concentrated in the Federal District, which forced the steward to embrace the presidential hand.They are the paragraph of society. "

When there are still 5 days left for the vote, a special game is played in the favelas. Everyone will not attack the captain of the army, as one might suppose during the polls. Silvia Sutar, coordinator of the Maré Arts Center, told this reporter "that a good party will vote for Bolsonaro, but many will vote for Fernando Haddad." For her, the petista is the option of those seeking to "defend all that we have conquered in recent years".

Curiously, one of the men who directly encouraged the impeachment of former President Dilma Rousseff, the lawyer Miguel Reali Jr, has now become a fierce critic of the Bolognese. The candidate said: "How is it possible that a man become myth will govern effectively? He will have to negotiate with all the forces present in Congress.But up to now, no one knows what their proposals are. just talk to the 140 characters of Twitter. "