Backers of Bolsonaro take to streets in Brazil
Thousands gathered in cities across Brazil on Sunday to show support for President Jair Bolsonaro, who faces an uncooperative Congress, street protests, a family corruption scandal and falling approval ratings five months into his term.
The stumbling start for the far-right leader who rode a wave of dissatisfaction with Brazil’s political class to victory led his backers to call for the demonstrations, which represented a mixed bag of demands and protests.
Supporters sang the national anthem and waved Brazilian flags while chanting the names of Bolsonaro cabinet members. Many said that Brazil’s institutions were not letting Bolsonaro govern. Some called for the closure of Congress and the Supreme Court.
“We need to clean out Congress,” said Neymar de Menezes, a 45-year-old construction contractor. “Unfortunately all the deputies there are compromised and all about deal making. Bolsonaro is fighting them by himself.”
Bolsonaro, who earlier in his political career said he would close Congress if he were ever president, told reporters on Friday he didn’t support calls to close institutions.
“That would not be good for Brazil,” Bolsonaro said. “That’s more [Nicolás] Maduro than Jair Bolsonaro,” he added, referring to Venezuelan leader.
The call for demonstrations created a rift among Brazil’s conservatives. The president of Bolsonaro’s party said protests “don’t make sense.”
“For the love of God, stop with the calls for protests, these people need a reality check,” tweeted Janaína Paschoal, a federal congresswoman whose name was floated as a potential vice president. She said Bolsonaro’s biggest risk was himself, his sons and some of his staff members.
“Wake up! On the 26th, if the streets are empty, Bolsonaro will realize he has to stop with the drama and do his job,” she said.
Bolsonaro did not participate in the demonstrations. Speaking at a church service in Rio de Janeiro, he said demonstrators were on the streets to, “deliver a message to those who insist on keeping the old politics who aren’t allowing the people to be free.”
The idea for demonstrations in favor of Bolsonaro gained steam after tens of thousands of people across Brazil last week protested budget cuts to public education imposed by his government.
Bolsonaro dismissed the student-led protests, calling their participants “imbeciles” and “useful idiots.”
It was the first mass street movement against the former army captain who took office on Jan. 1 and has seen his popularity steadily slipping. Roughly as many people now disapprove of his government as approve of it.
Pollster XP Investimentos said its poll showed 36 percent of Brazilians think Bolsonaro’s government is bad or terrible and 34 percent say it’s good or great. The firm surveyed 1,000 people on May 21-22, with a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.