By Vidhi Pathak Credit: The Myriad News
President Jair Bolsonaro’s victory in the 2018 Brazilian election indicates a critical shift in global politics. A report by The Monthly Review notes a recent rise in right-wing majorities for Latin American governments, creating a “conservative restoration”. Being the sixth most populous country in the world, the potential authoritarian leaning of Brazilian politics holds great importance in the international arena.
President Bolsonaro strives to end Brazilian democracy
Bolsonaro’s conservative administration targets liberal institutions in Brazil. This process molds the scope of Brazilian politics to adhere to an autocratic model of governance. An autocracy is a system of government in which a small group of individuals holds all political power.
As they strive to return to a military dictatorship, Bolsonaro’s Social Liberal Party constantly challenges the Brazilian democracy. These attacks on the foundations of Brazilian democracy are particularly significant because of Brazil’s political history as a host of a two-decade-long military dictatorship.
Jair Bolsonaro’s past occupation in the Brazilian army fuels his far-right views as he attempts to fill his administration with military officers. These members are advocating for authoritarian rule as they push forward policies that undermine the republic.
Using his political platform, Bolsonaro often encourages his constituents to view Brazil’s time as a military dictatorship as “glorious”.
Furthermore, Bolsonaro and his far-right administration repeatedly issue statements applauding dictatorships in Brazil and Chile and praising them for using torture and issuing hundreds of extrajudicial executions.
Even more alarming is Bolsonaro’s participation and involvement in anti-democratic rallies. His continuous support towards Brazil’s former military regime is a definite attack on global democracy.
The scope of Brazilian politics has implications beyond just Latin America, as Brazil is the largest South American country and often sets a precedent. Brazil’s relapse into authoritarianism could lead to an international domino effect and cause smaller nations to follow suit.
Bolsonaro is politicizing the Brazilian Judiciary and Military
In recent years, judicial involvement shapes the authoritarian leaning model of the Brazilian government. This newfound politicization is problematic because judiciaries remain an integral part of a democracy, ensuring accountability as a check on power.
However, the recent involvement of the Brazilian judiciary in politics hints at Brazil’s growing levels of authoritarianism. The political alliance between Bolsonaro’s Social Liberal Party and the judicial branch is a systematic attack on the organized left. Members of the center-left, Worker’s Party (PT) are specifically targeted and sentenced to jail.
Bolsonaro’s administration uses the judiciary to advance a conservative agenda and take more control over the policymaking process from a legal standpoint.
The Brazilian military involves an informal alliance with the current administration. This exertion of influence over major institutions is characteristic of autocratic regimes.
This is especially significant because the Brazilian courts and police forces hold prominent watchdog functions within the political system. Both institutions played significant roles in uncovering the 2014 corruption scandal, through Operation Car Wash. These institutions issued investigations for over a third of the Brazilian Congress and three Brazilian presidents.
The co-optation of these prominent institutions into the executive is resulting in political bias and a lack of accountability.
The Sao Paulo state police were recently found to show bias towards Bolsonaro and his beliefs. Officers refused to disperse quarantine breaking pro-Bolsonaro rallies while tear-gassing a recent anti-fascist protest.
Bolsonaro’s recurring attempts to undermine the Brazilian Republic
Bolsonaro’s far-right values are continuously reflected through his attacks on public institutions and his mission to “destroy everything that was built by the left”.
Bolsonaro defunds and closes any agency expressing leftist values and he regularly issues statements targeting indigenous people, women and members of the LGBT community.
With watchdog institutions co-opted and discredited, Brazil under the Bolsonaro administration is positioned to relapse into its authoritarian roots.
The comeback of the far-right leaves many conflicted about the scope of Latin American politics. Only time will tell if Bolsonaro’s government successfully purges Brazil of democracy.
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