Brazil on cusp of sharp move right in Bolsonaro
BrazilRIO DE JANEIRO — ians appear on the cusp of handing the presidency to a brash former army captain who has reminisced fondly about dictatorship, pledged to jail corrupt politicians and promised an allout war on the drugs and crime that plague South America’s largest nation.
Far-right congressman Jair Bolsonaro just missed outright victory in Sunday’s vote, and will face former Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad of the leftist Workers’ Party in an Oct. 28 runoff. Bolsonaro only needs a few more points to secure victory, but Haddad’s supporters vowed Monday to launch a tough fight to make up ground after he finished a distant second in the first round.
The election was a seis- mic shift for this nation of more than 200 million peo- ple, where the left has won the past four elections but deep divisions have opened in the wake of a massive corruption scandal and the impeachment of a president. Brazil’s move fits into a global trend among voters — in the United States and Europe, among other places — who are choos- ing anti-establishment and often far-right populist candidates who target minorities and promise a return to “traditional values.”
Brazil’s direction both economically and politically will have a major impact on surrounding countries that are trade partners with the regional heavyweight.
It will especially have influence on one of the t horniest issues in t he region, Venezuela’s economic and social collapse. Bolsonaro has promised a harder line on Venezuela, which millions have fled in recent years.