Political Violence and Rising Tensions in Brazil Just Weeks Before its 2022 Presidential Election

!!!

Issue Sep 07-13 2022: On September 7, 2022, President Jair Bolsonaro presided over festivities marking the 200th Anniversary of Brazil’s Independence from Portugal. Yet he outraged many Brazilians for turning the event into a militaristic campaign event with authoritarian overtones. The president was applauded by a crowd of supporters in Brasilia, where the heads of the legislative and judicial branches were noticeably absent, very much against tradition. Bolsonaro took the opportunity to launch various diatribes against former president and PT candidate Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, who leads in the polls. What is more, later that day, one of Bolsonaro’s supporters killed a Lula supporter. With tensions rising amid fears of more violence, combined with concerns for the very existence of Brazilian democracy, commentators had much to say.

To read the full content subscribe today!