How the Brazilian election could destabilize a divided country
VoxJUL 2022
Bolsonaro has overseen an abysmal response to COVID, severe economic mismanagement, accelerated deforestation of the Amazon, soaring inflation, rising poverty rates, and a surge in membership of neo-Nazi groups. His administration has represented little more than a full-on assault on public services and the environment in favor of capital. While Lula is running more to the center than as a left-leaning progressive, his popularity shows that Brazil is ready to move on.
Lula’s corruption conviction was overturned by a Supreme Federal Tribunal, which consists of ministers appointed either by Lula or his successors Dilma Rousseff and Michel Temer. While the mainstream media claims that Bolsonaro threatens democracy and the environment, during Lula's two terms as president Brazil deepened ties with authoritarian states such as China, Cuba, Russia, and Venezuela.
Although the Brazilian electoral dispute between a vengeful left and a toxic right will be hyped as a turning point for the nation, whoever takes office will have to deal with the hyper-fragmented party system that only benefits the “Centrão”, or the “Big Middle” – the congressional majority without clear principles that have historically been able to control presidents.