Bolsonaro Indictment Leaves Brazil’s Tropical Trump Staring at Prospect of Jail

THE GUARDIAN: The ex-president faces charges of a murderous conspiracy while his US counterpart has surged back to power

At the height of Jair Bolsonaro’s haywire presidency, Brazilian activists projected their deepest desire on to the Tower of London, where Guy Fawkes once languished after plotting to blow up parliament and assassinate the king.

“Jail Bolsonaro,” their wordplay read.

This week, after Brazil’s ex-president was formally accused of masterminding a murderous conspiracy of his own – to allegedly overthrow the government and assassinate foes with bullets and poison – his critics felt that day was finally drawing near.

“I’d be extremely worried if I were in his shoes,” said Cesar Calejon, the author of several critical books about Bolsonaro and his radical political project.

“I think it’s highly unlikely this process won’t end with Jair Bolsonaro in jail,” Calejon said, celebrating a momentous “inflection point” he believed would seal Bolsonaro’s demise and dramatically “dehydrate” his movement. » | Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro | Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Brazilians hail strength of democracy as Bolsonaro is called to account: ‘In Brazil coup-mongers go to jail. In the US they get back into the White House,’ says one leading politician »

Jair Bolsonaro charged over alleged far-right coup plot to seize power in Brazil: Former president has denied breaking the law, while attorney general alleges plot included a plan to poison Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva »

Brazil Military Finds No Evidence of Election Fraud, Dashing Hopes of Bolsonaro Supporters

THE GUARDIAN: Jair Bolsonaro frequently raised doubts about integrity of election in the run-up to his loss to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro. The defence ministry found no irregularities in the recent election. Photograph: Adriano Machado/Reuters
A much-awaited report by Brazil’s Defence Ministry has failed to indicate recent ballots were fraudulent, scuppering the far-right’s hopes of delegitimising the election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The military sent the 63-page report to Brazil’s electoral authorities late on Wednesday after days of speculation that it would back claims by extremist president Jair Bolsonaro that the election was tainted.

Bolsonaro, a former army captain, has spent months hinting he would not accept a loss at the polls and frequently called into question the reliability of Brazil’s electronic ballot boxes, even though he provided no evidence they could be tampered with.

His supporters hoped the military would back up these claims but the only note of doubt was a weak suggestion a committee be formed to ensure the source code used in the boxes cannot be tampered with.

Brazil’s senior electoral official said they “received with satisfaction the final report from the Defence Ministry that, in common with all the other monitoring agencies, does not point to any fraud or inconsistency in electronic ballot boxes or in the 2022 electoral process”. » | Andrew Downie in São Paulo | Thursday, November 10, 2022

‘Brazilians tired of him’: how Bolsonaro the ‘unfloppable’ flopped: The far-right ex-soldier often boasted of his virility but in the end his macho posturing repelled a majority of voters »

Brazil: Bolsonaro Breaks Silence But Does Not Acknowledge Defeat | DW News

Nov 2, 2022 | Brazil's outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro has made his first address since being defeated in Sunday's presidential polls. In a very short statement with no concession of defeat or congratulations to leftist former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who triumphed, Bolsonaro said that he would "comply" with the constitution while thanking those who voted for him. Shortly after the release of the statement, Brazil's Supreme Court said that Bolsonaro had recognized the result of the election by authorizing the start of a transition to a government by Lula.

'We Need Lula': Brazilians Celebrate Leftist Leader's Narrow Victory

Oct 31, 2022 | Brazil’s former leftist president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has sealed an astonishing political comeback, beating the far-right incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro, in one of the most significant and bruising elections in the country’s history.

With 99.97% of votes counted, Silva, a former factory worker who became Brazil’s first working-class president exactly 20 years ago, had secured 50.9% of the vote. Bolsonaro, a firebrand who was elected in 2018, received 49.10%.

Addressing journalists at a hotel in São Paulo, Lula vowed to reunify his country after a toxic race for power which has profoundly divided one of the world’s largest democracies. Lula stages astonishing comeback to beat far-right Bolsonaro in the Brazil election


After Defeat, Bolsonaro is Silent, and Brazil Braces for Turmoil: President Jair Bolsonaro has not yet recognized his election defeat after months of warning, without evidence, that opponents would rig the vote. »

Election présidentielle au Brésil : la joie des partisans de Lula après la victoire sur le fil de leur champion face à Bolsonaro : Le champion de la gauche obtient 50,9 % des suffrages au terme d’une journée de vote pleine de tensions. »

Eine knappe Entscheidung gegen Bolsonaro: In einer äußerst knappen Wahl schafft es der frühere Präsident Lula da Silva zurück an die Macht. Er hat sich vorgenommen, das entzweite Land zusammenzuführen – eine enorme Herausforderung, wie er selbst sagte. »

GUARDIAN EDITORIAL:

The Guardian view on Lula’s comeback: good for Brazil and the world: The once-and-future leftwing president of Brazil has a chance to redeem the promise of democracy in his divided country »

Brazil’s LGBTQ+ politicians herald new age of hope as Bolsonaro consigned to ‘sewer of history’: After left-wing former president Lula toppled Jair Bolsonaro in the Brazilian election, campaigners are hopeful for the future of human rights. »

Lula Stages Astonishing Comeback to Beat Far-right Bolsonaro in Brazil Election

THE GUARDIAN: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the former leftist president, has reclaimed the leadership and vowed to reunify his country

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the Workers’ party (PT) won the election in a run-off on 30 October. Photograph: André Penner/AP
Brazil’s former leftist president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has sealed an astonishing political comeback, beating the far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in one of the most significant and bruising elections in the country’s history.

With 99% of votes counted, Silva, a former factory worker who became Brazil’s first working-class president exactly 20 years ago, had secured 50.8% of the vote. Bolsonaro, a firebrand who was elected in 2018, received 49.1%.

A few streets away on Paulista Avenue, one of the city’s main arteries, ecstatic Lula supporters gathered to celebrate his victory and the downfall of a radical rightwing president whose presidency produced an environmental tragedy and saw nearly 700,000 Brazilians die of Covid. » | Tom Phillips in São Paulo | Sunday, October 30, 2022

Bolsonaro and Lula Go Head to Head in Final Debate | DW News

Oct 29, 2022 | Right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro and his leftist challenger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are wrapping up their campaigns for the upcoming presidential runoff. Lula is currently leading in the polls, but the vote is expected to go down to the wire

Bolsonaro vs. Lula: Brazil Faces a Stark Choice With Huge Stakes: Brazilians head to the polls on Sunday in an election between two political heavyweights that could have global repercussions. »

The Guardian View on Brazil’s Election: Bolsonaro’s Return Would Cost Us All

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: The planet cannot afford a second term for the far-right president who has resurged in the polls

Jair Bolsonaro at a campaign event in Rio de Janeiro earlier this month. ‘Even if Mr Bolsonaro is seen off this time, he may well be back.’ Photograph: António Lacerda/EPA
On Sunday, Brazilian electors will cast their vote in a tight contest that will not only set the course for this extraordinarily polarised country but also have a powerful impact on the future of the world. Hopes that the far-right incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro, would be decisively rejected in the first round were dashed when he fared far better than expected, with 43% of votes, and his challenger, the former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, fell just short of an outright majority with 48%. Eleventh-hour handouts to the poorest and lavish quantities of disinformation have aided Mr Bolsonaro’s recovery.

The hope is that his momentum is already fading. But the polls vary, and a second presidential term would be bad news not just for Brazilians but also the rest of us. The primary danger is climate catastrophe. … » | Editorial | Thursday, October 27, 2022

Brazil Election: Lula Wins First Round but Far Right Has Momentum

THE GUARDIAN: Six key questions after first round of voting leads to closer than expected result

Supporters of Lula react as they watch the vote count in Brazil. Photograph: Sérgio Lima/AFP/Getty Images
EXPLAINER
Brazil’s left went into Sunday’s election hoping for an outright majority for their candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva over Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right figurehead who has been Brazil’s president for the last four years.

At the very least, they hoped for a commanding margin and a sense of momentum going into a run-off between the two. And progressives around the world were watching for an emphatic repudiation of Bolsonaro’s presidency that would signal that the forces of extremism were in retreat. But it hasn’t worked out that way.

Instead, Lula won 48% of votes, roughly in line with polls – but Bolsonaro did much better than expected, taking 43%, and his supporters also outperformed polls in state and senate races. Lula is expected to take most votes from the minor candidates who now drop out, and should be favourite to win in the second round on October 30 - but the road to victory looks rockier than it did last night. The stakes could hardly be higher. » | Archie Bland | Monday, October 3, 2022

Brazil’s Elections: The Economist Interviews Lula

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, commonly known as Lula, is the former leftist president of Brazil and the man taking on Jair Bolsonaro, the right-wing incumbent, in the country’s upcoming presidential election. In an exclusive interview with The Economist, Lula discusses his campaign and his plans for Brazil.

Will Bolsonaro Accept Brazil's Election Results If He Loses? | DW News

Brazilians go to the polls after a highly polarized presidential election campaign that's prompted fears of violence. Opinion polls give a clear advantage to the leftist former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. And the right-wing incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro, has hinted that he might not accept a defeat. DW correspondent Johann Ramirez sent this report on the election from Rio de Janeiro.

Brasilien wählt, doch Bolsonaro will nichts anderes als einen Wahlsieg akzeptieren

NEUE ZURCHER ZEITUNG: Das grösste Land Lateinamerikas wählt an diesem Sonntag. Präsident Jair Bolsonaro sät Zweifel am elektronischen Wahlsystem. Seine Anhänger sind bewaffnet. Es drohen gewalttätige Unruhen. Die Urnen schliessen um 22 Uhr mitteleuropäischer Zeit.

Präsident Jair Bolsonaro mit Anhängern an einer Wahlveranstaltung in Santos. | Andre Penner / AP
Er werde das Wahlergebnis akzeptieren – solange bei den Wahlen alles mit rechten Dingen zugehe, wiederholt Präsident Jair Bolsonaro fast täglich gegenüber seinen Anhängern. Alles andere als ein hoher Wahlsieg seinerzeit im ersten Wahlgang von diesem Sonntag deute darauf hin, dass irgendetwas falsch laufe im Obersten Wahlgericht.

Mit der kühnen Behauptung des Wahlsieges scheint der Präsident seine Anhänger auf die drohende Niederlage bei seiner Wiederwahl vorbereiten zu wollen. Denn es sieht nicht gut für ihn aus: In den Umfragen der renommierten Institute Ipec und Datafolha liegt sein Kontrahent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva 14 Prozentpunkte vor ihm. Ein Wahlsieg des Ex-Präsidenten Lula schon im ersten Wahldurchgang erscheint möglich.

Um eine mögliche Niederlage im Vorfeld zu diskreditieren, attackiert Bolsonaro die elektronischen Wahlurnen. Das macht er seit Beginn seiner Regierung 2019. Dabei hat er nie Belege vorlegen können, die seine Behauptungen stützen. Er selbst wurde sechs Mal mit diesem System als Abgeordneter für Rio de Janeiro und schliesslich zum Präsidenten gewählt. » | Alexander Busch, Salvador | Sonntag, 2. Oktober 2022

Brazil: A Nation Divided | FT Film

Latin America’s largest nation is facing its most important election in decades as Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva square off amid deep political and cultural polarisation. FT Brazil bureau chief Bryan Harris travels the nation to look at the enormous economic and social challenges facing the next president. He meets wealthy farmers, truckers, evangelicals and those facing food insecurity

Jour de vote au Brésil : Lula favori, désinformation et tensions... ce qu’il faut savoir sur le scrutin : Les campagnes de désinformation et les attaques contre le système électoral font craindre des tensions après l’annonce des résultats. L’ancien président Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva est le favori. »

Brazil Elections 2022: It's Bolsonaro vs Lula, Explained

A former leader seeking a comeback and a polarising far-right president. It's Lula da Silva vs Jair Bolsonaro as elections get underway in Brazil. If neither manages to secure at least 50-per-cent of the vote - there will be a run off election later this month.

"Brazil on Fire": Lula Launches Campaign to Unseat Bolsonaro & End His Authoritarian Rule

Aug 18, 2022 This week former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva formally launched his campaign to challenge Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro this October. Fear is growing Bolsonaro might try to stay in office even if he loses, possibly with help from the Brazilian military. Lula, a union leader who held office from 2003 through 2010, is running on a platform to lift up Brazil's poor, preserve the Amazon rainforest and protect Brazil's Indigenous communities. In 2018, he was jailed on trumped-up charges, paving the way for the far-right Jair Bolsonaro to rise to power, but his convictions were annulled last year, restoring his political rights to challenge Bolsonaro. The presidential front-runners hold "two visions for Brazil," says reporter Michael Fox, former editor of NACLA and host of the new podcast "Brazil on Fire."

Bolsonaro setzt auf die Methode Trump

Digital wie analog: Brasiliens Präsident Jair Bolsonaro mobilisiert seine Anhänger mit Provokationen. | Bild: REUTERS
FAKE NEWS IN BRASILIEN
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Brasilien steht ein schmutziger Kampf ums Präsidentenamt bevor. Amtsinhaber Bolsonaro stachelt seine Anhänger mit alternativen Fakten an. Ein Gesetz soll dem Einhalt gebieten – doch Google und Facebook wehren sich mit allen Mitteln.

Eine Frau, die sich als Nachrichtensprecherin ausgibt, erzählt von den neusten Erkenntnissen zur Pandemie in Italien. Dort, sagt sie, seien lediglich wenige Prozent der Todesfälle im Zusammenhang mit dem Coronavirus tatsächlich auf die „chinesische Pest“ zurückzuführen. Dann verweist sie auf Statistiken des italienischen Gesundheitsministeriums zu den Vorerkrankungen der Todesopfer. Wende man dieselben Zahlen auf Brasilien an, seien also nicht einmal 40.000 Personen am Virus gestorben und nicht mehr als 600.000 Personen, wie das „Lumpenpack der extremen Presse“ allen weismachen wolle. Dann ist der „Nachrichtenblock“ zu Ende.

Das Video ist nur ein Beispiel für die unzähligen Falschnachrichten, die sich in Brasilien überdurchschnittlich rasch in den sozialen Netzwerken verbreiten. Wer bestimmten Kanälen folgt, erhält jeden Tag Dutzende davon. Viele Brasilianer nehmen für bare Münze, was in den sozialen Medien an sie herangetragen wird. Sie haben sich von den traditionellen Medien teilweise abgekoppelt. In unzähligen Gruppen in den sozialen Netzwerken und auf Direktnachrichtendiensten wie Whatsapp und Telegram lassen sie sich von Verschwörungstheorien, „alternativen Fakten“ und glatten Lügen berieseln. Das erklärt unter anderem, warum die radikalen Anhänger von Jair Bolsonaro überall eine Verschwörung des „Establishments“ gegen den rechten Präsidenten wittern. Etwas weniger ausgeprägt und inhaltlich anders gelagert lässt sich das Phänomen auch in anderen politischen Meinungsblasen beobachten. » | Tjerk Brühwiller, Korrespondent für Lateinamerika mit Sitz in São Paulo | Montag, 18. April 2022

Um weiterzulesen, muß man abonniert sein. Hier finden Sie die aktuellen Sonderangebote der Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung.

Hitlergruß? – Job weg

Brasiliens Präsident Jair Bolsonaro | Bild: REUTERS
NEONAZIS IN BRASILIEN
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: In Brasilien wächst seit Jahren die Zahl der Neonazis. Auch ein deutscher Holocaust-Leugner hat sich in das Land abgesetzt. Fühlen sich die Rechtsextremen seit der Wahl von Präsident Jair Bolsonaro gestärkt?

Der brasilianische Moderator Bruno Aiub ist seinen Job los. „Ich finde, Nazis sollten ihre eigene Partei haben dürfen“, hatte er in der Podcast-Sendung „Flow“ gesagt. Aiub sagte zudem, jeder sollte das Recht haben, gegen Juden zu sein. Kurz nach der Sendung sprangen Sponsoren ab. Zudem eröffnete die Generalstaatsanwaltschaft eine Untersuchung, weil in derselben Sendung auch der liberale Abgeordnete Kim Kataguiri in seinen Aussagen zwar nicht so weit, jedoch in eine ähnliche Richtung ging. Er sagte, eine Ideologie oder Meinung solle nicht mit Gesetzen, sondern mit Debatten bekämpft werden.

Der unterdessen gelöschte Podcast war daraufhin Thema in einer anderen Diskussionssendung, die über den großen Radiosender „Jovem Pan“ ausgestrahlt wurde, auch in Bewegtbild. Auch diese Sendung endete mit einer Entlassung. Grund war eine Geste des bekannten Kommentators Adrilles Jorge. Während der Sendung verurteilte er die Verherrlichung des Nationalsozialismus zwar mehrfach. Ganz am Schluss – und nach einem Hinweis auf die Gräueltaten kommunistischer Regime – aber hob er zum Abschied seine Hand. Ein Hitlergruß? Sarkasmus? Gar nichts? » | Von Tjerk Brühwiller, São Paulo | Donnerstag, 10. Februar 2022

President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil Is Hospitalized

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Mr. Bolsonaro, who was stabbed while on the campaign trail in 2018, experienced stomach discomfort during his vacation and was flown back to São Paulo.

RIO DE JANEIRO — President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil was flown to São Paulo on Monday and hospitalized for treatment of a possible stomach obstruction after experiencing discomfort while on vacation in the southern state of Santa Catarina, his office and a hospital said.

He was admitted to Vila Nova Star hospital, where he was undergoing exams under the care of Dr. Antônio Luiz Macedo, the surgeon who treated Mr. Bolsonaro after he was stabbed in 2018 while campaigning for president. Mr. Bolsonaro is in stable condition, the hospital said, adding that five doctors were overseeing his care.

In a post on Twitter, Mr. Bolsonaro said he “started feeling poorly after lunch on Sunday.” After arriving at the hospital at 3 a.m., he wrote, he was administered a nasogastric tube, which can be used to drain fluid from the stomach of a patient with an intestinal obstruction. The president, who included a photo from the hospital in the tweet, said that more exams would be conducted to determine whether surgery was necessary. » | Ernesto Londoño and Flávia Milhorance | Monday, January 3, 2022

Brésil : Jair Bolsonaro hospitalisé d'urgence pour une probable occlusion intestinale : Le président brésilien a subi une demi-douzaine d'opérations de l'abdomen depuis la tentative d'assassinat qui l'a visé en septembre 2018. »

The Bolsonaro-Trump Connection Threatening Brazil’s Elections

THE NEW YORK TIMES: With his poll numbers falling, President Jair Bolsonaro is already questioning the legitimacy of next year’s election. He has help from the United States.

President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil during Independence Day celebrations in São Paulo in September. | Victor Moriyama for The New York Times
BRASÍLIA — The conference hall was packed, with a crowd of more than 1,000 cheering attacks on the press, the liberals and the politically correct. There was Donald Trump Jr. warning that the Chinese could meddle in the election, a Tennessee congressman who voted against certifying the 2020 vote, and the president complaining about voter fraud.

In many ways, the September gathering looked like just another CPAC, the conservative political conference. But it was happening in Brazil, most of it was in Portuguese and the president at the lectern was Jair Bolsonaro, the country’s right-wing leader.

Fresh from their assault on the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, former President Donald J. Trump and his allies are exporting their strategy to Latin America’s largest democracy, working to support Mr. Bolsonaro’s bid for re-election next year — and helping sow doubt in the electoral process in the event that he loses. » | Jack Nicas | Thursday, November 11, 2021

Brasilien: Bolsonaro droht Anklage wegen Corona-Politik | DW Nachrichten

Oct 21, 2021 • Brasilien hatte im Zusammenhang mit dem Virus sehr viele Todesopfer zu beklagen. Könnte dies seinem Präsidenten Jair Bolsonaro zum Verhängnis werden? Der Senat erhebt schwere Vorwürfe gegen ihn und will ihn für seine Versäumnisse in der Pandemie anklagen.

Charge Bolsonaro with Murder over Covid Toll, Draft Brazil Senate Report Says

THE GUARDIAN: Draft text says neglect, incompetence and opposition to science fueled ‘stratospheric’ death toll

Jair Bolsonaro’s ‘deliberate and conscious’ decision to delay buying Covid vaccines led to thousands of deaths, the report says. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, should face murder charges for his role in the country’s “stratospheric” coronavirus death toll, a draft report from a senate inquiry into Brazil’s Covid crisis has recommended.

The 1,078-page document, published by Brazilian media on Tuesday afternoon, is not due to be voted on by the commission until next week and could yet be modified by senators.

But the draft text paints a devastating portrait of the neglect, incompetence and anti-scientific denialism many believe has defined the Bolsonaro administration’s response to a public health emergency that has killed more than 600,000 Brazilians.

Bolsonaro’s “deliberate and conscious” decision to delay buying Covid vaccines needlessly condemned thousands of citizens to early graves, the report claims. » | Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro | Tuesday, October 19, 2021