Thousands gather for pro-Bolsonaro rallies as critics fear for democracy

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Thousands gather for pro-Bolsonaro rallies as critics fear for democracy

Followers arrive in Brasília and São Paulo in hope of staging show of support for beleaguered Brazilian president

Tom Phillips in Brasília
Mon 6 Sep 2021 19.37 BST

Thousands of diehard Jair Bolsonaro followers have converged on Brazil’s political and economic capitals hoping to stage a colossal show of support for their beleaguered president amid mounting fears over the future of Brazilian democracy and of possible skirmishes with the government’s opponents.

The rightwing nationalist, who recently warned Brazil could face a political “rupture”, is expected to address packed independence day rallies in Brasília and São Paulo on Tuesday in what observers say is an increasingly weak politician’s attempt to project strength.

Bolsonaro’s approval ratings have plummeted in recent months as corruption allegations have ensnared a succession of allies and relatives and a congressional inquiry has savaged his government’s response to a Covid outbreak that has killed nearly 600,000 Brazilians. Polls suggest almost two-thirds of Brazilians now oppose Bolsonaro’s presidency and that the leftwing former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva would beat him in next year’s election.

“These are the death throes of a government in agony,” Alessandro Molon, a congressman from the leftwing Brazilian Socialist party (PSB), said of Tuesday’s planned demonstrations.

But Bolsonaro still enjoys substantial support, particularly among evangelical Christians and in Brazil’s agricultural heartlands and deep south. As they poured into Brasília from across the country, on buses, trucks and planes, those disciples said they were determined to champion a leader whose chances of re-election next year look increasingly frail.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/06/thousands-gather-pro-bolsonaro-rallies-critics-fear-for-democracy

[Judi Lynn]

1. Bolsonaro Goes Full Trump Ahead of Brazil's 'Jan. 6'-Inspired Rally

BRACE FOR IT

The beleaguered leader has channeled the former American president, calling for protests that opponents say are modeled on the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Barbie Latza Nadeau
Correspondent-At-Large
Updated Sep. 07, 2021 3:58PM ET / Published Sep. 07, 2021 11:11AM ET

Brazil is bracing for its own version of the Jan. 6 “stop the steal” riot at the U.S. Capitol, inspired by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, whose predicted election defeat has made him as desperate as former U.S. President Donald Trump. Bolsonaro has called for his supporters to gather en masse on Tuesday, Brazil’s Independence Day.

More than 150 global opponents to the sitting Brazilian president—who recent polls show will lose by a landslide to former left-wing President Lula Inacio Lula da Silva in next year’s October election—released an open letter on Monday warning that Bolsonaro is plotting a military coup. Among those who signed the letter are the former prime minister of Spain Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and the former finance minister of Greece, Yanis Varoufakis—both long-time foes of the right-wing leader.

The letter warned that Tuesday’s pro-Bolsonaro demonstrations have “been modeled on the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on 6 January 2021,” spurred on by an increasingly desperate failing leader who has engaged in mass intimidation of public officials and “stoking fears of a coup d’état in the world’s third-largest democracy.”

Bolsonaro, an ardent fan of Trump, has already warned that the election slated for October 2022 is rigged. He attacked Brazil’s Supreme Court, which recently ruled in favor of an investigation into Bolsonaro’s claims that Brazil’s electronic voting system is susceptible to fraud—especially if former President Lula wins. The court is also investigating the president for potential breaches of the country’s free speech laws in his clampdown on the media and other entities.

Several local politicians have also warned that Brazil’s military police have been summoned to take part in the demonstrations, even though they are banned from participating in political protests.

More:
https://www.thedailybeast.com/jair-bolsonaro-goes-full-trump-ahead-of-brazils-january-6-inspired-rally