The potential president of Brazil has pledged to “re-democratise” the nation. That sounds like a warning to his detractors.
On October 4, pollsters were taken aback by Flávio Bolsonaro, a 45-year-old far-right lawmaker and the son of imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro. In the first round, he defeated 80-year-old incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with about 47% of legitimate votes compared to Lula’s 45%. The two will face off in a runoff on October 25, with Flávio now the favorite, as neither reached the 50% mark.
According to Flávio, he plans to modify the constitution through a significantly increased far-right presence in Congress. The word he uses for it is totally different from what his enemies perceive.
After a cruel 21-year military dictatorship, Brazil returned to democracy in the 1980s, and its current constitution was adopted in 1988. Bolsonaro’s pledge to “re-democratise” that settlement appears to historians and opponents as a movement using democratic rhetoric to conceal an illiberal trend.
There was an instant pushback. Congresswoman Talíria Petrone, a leftist, wrote on X:
“This is a coup announcement.
Lula’s Workers’ Party (PT) member Marcelo Freixo went one step further:
“In 1988, democracy was restored in Brazil. His father, who was found guilty of attempting a coup, was the one who attempted to reverse this. Once more, a coup is what they desire.
Jair Bolsonaro, a former soldier who served under the military administration and has publicly lauded authoritarian leaders, such as the late dictator Augusto Pinochet of Chile, is the source of these concerns.
He has long yearned for a return to military control, according to his detractors. Jair was convicted by Brazil’s Supreme Court in September of last year of attempting to convince military leaders to assist him in holding onto power at the end of his 2018–2022 administration after losing to Lula.
The conspiracy culminated in the far-right uprising in Brasília on January 8, 2023, which seemed to be motivated by the assault of the US Capitol two years prior. He is currently incarcerated for 27 years.
One More Attempt At A Coup?
Flávio “follows the same principles as his father and has previously indicated that an intervention in the institutions is necessary,” according to veteran political and economic journalist Míriam Leitão, who has issued a warning about “the great and tangible threat of…” another coup d’état attempt.
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He would have powerful caucuses in both chambers of Congress, a weakened Supreme Court, and support from the Trump administration, according to his detractors. The claim is that his father’s dictatorial ambition may be furthered with those. According to reports, if his son prevails, Jair Bolsonaro and his imprisoned accomplices may be released. That has not been verified.
Flávio recently met Gustavo Villatoro, the security minister of El Salvador, in São Paulo, which added to the anxiety. He applauded the strict security policies of the Bukele administration, which have resulted in thousands of people being imprisoned during a nearly five-year state of emergency.
Flávio told reporters that Villatoro “stressed the importance” of using control of Congress to make the “necessary legal changes.”
Pressed on his plans, Flávio rejected claims that he wants to finish “what his father didn’t do.”
“Let’s stop lying. Let’s touch down in the real world,” he told reporters, adding: “Brazil needs to go back to normal, that’s all.”
Whether that reassures voters, or deepens the fears of those who see an echo of 2023, will be settled on October 25.