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A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 9 OcTOber 2018

Brazil on the cusp of sharp move right with Bolsonaro

By PETER PRENGAMAN knows that life got worse
SARAH DILORENZO under the Workers' Party,
MAURICIO SAVARESE especially for the middle
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Bra- class," she said.
zilians appear on the cusp Brazil has also just emerged
of handing the presidency from a protracted reces-
to a brash former army cap- sion, unemployment is high
tain who has reminisced and crime is rising.
fondly about dictatorship, Bolsonaro, whose cam-
pledged to jail corrupt poli- paign was called "Brazil
ticians and promised an all- above all, God above
out war on the drugs and everyone," has pushed a
crime that plague South nostalgic narrative that
America's largest nation. he can bring back better
Far-right congressman Jair times. Part of that includes
Bolsonaro just missed out- likely attempts to roll back
right victory in Sunday's the rights of gays and other
vote, and will face former minorities, and a hard line
Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando on issues like equal pay for
Haddad of the leftist Work- women. Bolsonaro has said
ers' Party in an Oct. 28 run- he would rather have a
off. Bolsonaro only needs a A woman sells T-shirts and flags with the image of presidential frontrunner Jair Bolsonaro of the dead son than a gay one
few more points to secure Social Liberal Party, in front of the headquarters of the national congress, in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, and told a fellow lawmaker
victory, but Haddad's sup- Oct. 7, 2018. in Congress that she was
porters vowed Monday Associated Press "too ugly" to be raped.
to launch a tough fight to To fight the country's ram-
make up ground after he It will especially have influ- last election — giving it 10 ized race. pant crime, he has prom-
finished a distant second in ence on one of the thorni- percent of that house and "If you don't speak to peo- ised to give police a free
the first round. est issues in the region, Ven- making it the second-larg- ple's anger, you're not go- hand to shoot first and
The election was a seismic ezuela's economic and so- est party after the Workers' ing to get any votes," Win- ask questions later, argu-
shift for this nation of more cial collapse. Bolsonaro has Party, with 56. ter said. ing that criminals will be
than 200 million people, promised a harder line on Brian Winter, the editor-in- Brazilians have a lot to be the ones who are scared
where the left has won Venezuela, which millions chief of Americas Quarterly angry about. Since 2014, in his administration. He
the past four elections have fled in recent years. magazine, said the results they've watched slack- has vowed to loosen gun
but deep divisions have Bolsonaro's Social and Lib- underscored "the total dis- jawed as prosecutors de- laws to allow more people
opened in the wake of a eral Party was a tiny, fringe appearance of the Brazil- tailed how many in govern- to arm themselves. He has
massive corruption scandal group, but the candidate ian center" and that Bolso- ment manipulated public proposed mass privatiza-
and the impeachment of a began surging in the polls naro seemed almost cer- contracts and promised tions of state companies,
president. Brazil's move fits earlier this year through his tain to glide to victory. favors in exchange for bil- a smaller government that
into a global trend among use of social media and Haddad may yet gain the lions of dollars in kickbacks spends less and a more
voters — in the United States carefully orchestrated ral- backing of other candi- and bribes. Much of that open economy.
and Europe, among other lies. Bolsonaro has often dates in the race, but that focused on the Workers' His promises to give police
places — who are choos- praised Donald Trump, might just feed Bolsonaro's Party, and many voters freer rein, his criticism of
ing anti-establishment and and his campaign took criticism that traditional cited a desire to root out the social movements and
often far-right populist can- many pages from the U.S. politicians are only interest- corruption in their choice reforms that have attempt-
didates who target minori- president's playbook, from ed in protecting their own. of Bolsonaro. ed to make Brazil more in-
ties and promise a return to bashing the mainstream The Workers' Party took to Jana Tessarolo Clemente, clusive and equal, and his
"traditional values." media and political class to Twitter on Monday with a a 46-year-old veterinarian frequent praise for Brazil's
Brazil's direction both eco- using the candidate's adult rallying cry to all those who from Sao Paulo said she 1964-1985 military dictator-
nomically and politically children as proxies. believe in democracy and voted for the former army ship have raised concerns
will have a major impact Bolsonaro's party took a vowed to unify the country. captain "because we're that a Bolsonaro govern-
on surrounding countries whopping 52 seats in the But the leftist candidate will against the Workers' Party ment will erode democrat-
that are trade partners with lower house of Congress struggle to build a broad more than for Bolsonaro." ic values and rule with an
the regional heavyweight. — up from just one in the coalition in such a polar- "Anyone who lives in Brazil authoritarian hand.q