Brazil’s far-right president draws concern
SAO PAULO — In some of his first words to the nation as presidentelect, far-right politician Jair Bolsonaro has promised to defend the constitution and unite a bitterly divided populace.
His left-leaning rival immediately vowed to mount a vigorous opposition, while rights groups warned against a rollback of civil liberties.
That juxtaposition underscored that the end of the election was not the end of acrimony and that myriad challenges lay ahead for Latin America’s largest nation.
Bolsonaro appeared to try to allay those concerns Sunday night, saying he would “pacify” Brazil following a race that revealed deep divisions and was repeatedly marred by violence. The candidate himself was stabbed and almost died while campaigning in early September, and there were numerous reports of politically motivated violence, especially directed at gay people.
“This country belongs to all of us, Brazilians by birth or by heart, a Brazil of diverse opinions, colours and orientations,” he said, reading off a sheet of paper in a live television address.
But in a sign of the challenges ahead, the hashtag EleNaoE-MeuPresidente — HeIsNotMyPresident in Portuguese — was the top trending topic on Twitter in Brazil on Monday morning.
Bolsonaro’s victory moved Brazil, the world’s fourth-largest democracy, sharply to the right after four consecutive elections in which candidates from the left-leaning Workers’ Party won.
Like other right-leaning leaders who have risen to power around the globe, Bolsonaro built his popularity on a mixture of often outrageous or offensive comments and hardline positions. And, like many, he is sure to face stiff pushback from groups concerned that his strong views will lead to policies that threaten democratic institutions.
Bolsonaro has frequently disparaged women, gays and blacks, praised torture and killings by police, and has said he would name military men to his cabinet.
He often tweeted to lambaste the rival Workers’ Party as unethical and dangerous. In recent weeks, Brazilians were bombarded with WhatsApp messages that condemned Workers’ Party candidate Fernando Haddad, often making outrageous claims.
Ultimately, Bolsonaro’s messages resonated with Brazilians hungry for change: He got just over 55 per cent of the votes Sunday, compared to right under 45 per cent for Haddad.
Within minutes of his victory being declared, international civil rights groups expressed concerns. Human Rights Watch called on Brazil’s judiciary and other institutions to “resist any attempt to undermine human rights, the rule of law and democracy under Jair Bolsonaro’s government.”