The contempt for minorities and women, as well as the glorification of the military dictatorship promoted by Bolsonaro, is a call to reflection on democracy in Latin America

While the world still does not understand the election that positioned a showman like Donald Trump in the presidency of the United States; Bolsonaro, a politician not so well known until a few months ago, presents himself with his radicalism to govern the maximum public position in Brazil. Not for nothing international media like FP, Le Monde, CNN and Der Spiegel, have called him the "Brazilian Trump" or "Le Pen Tropical".

Leer en español: Este es el preocupante mensaje que Bolsonaro deja a las democracia

However, the discourse that Bolsonaro builds does not seem so far from European democracies that have begun to look to the extreme right, such as Italy with the Northern League, Austria with FPÖ, Germany with AfD, France with the National Front, etc.

It seems that the message that looked so worn out after the Second World War, that of the extreme right, has not disappeared. It was only saved, it was aged. It regenerated itself in the bodies and minds of the characters that lead the disillusionment of democratic and popular regimes, which carry proposals for segregation and rejection of otherness by the hand of militarization.

Bolsonaro embodies not only a danger speech for Brazil but for democracies at the regional level. The return of letting such a disruptive character enter a position with such power alone represents a heavy blow to democracy. What can be expected of a person who during the accusation to Dilma Rousseff for her dismissal dedicated his vote to the memory of Colonel Carlos Alberto Brilhante Ustra (torturer of the dictatorship) knowing that she had been tortured?

Although the disappointment and the annoyance towards the inheritance of Lula was reflected in the electoral day, as it was reflected in the results that gave the Superior Electoral Court of Brazil. Bolsonaro was only 4 points to reach the presidency.

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While everything points to Bolsonaro and the media have managed to enter or take advantage of the fatigue of Brazilians, this is also a great call to the role of the left in Latin America and the way in which it has exercised power, as mentioned by the public consultant Luis Tejero in El Mundo.

Why is it that after twelve years in which Lula and Dilma were in the presidency, the Brazilians have turned to a change completely opposite to that their previous leaders developed? There must be a great self-criticism on the part of the left or progressive sectors that have been in power. Otherwise the hope with which they came to power will become a simple political pragmatism away from the ideals that led to success.

The attrition that democracy as a government regime brings from its conception seems to be once again being tested against the discourse of radicalism on the extreme right. It is worrisome the progress it has in Europe and now the impact that the largest and most relevant country in the Southern Cone is having.

Bolsonaro leaves a clear global message to democracy: the neofascists, the people of the extreme right, are very patient in the democratic game. They wait for the best moment to take advantage of the social unrest against democracy, then use it to their benefit as a sample to be applied against their governed. It does not matter he wins the election or not, the message has been sent.

LatinAmerican Post | Leonardo Solís Huitrón

Translated from "Este es el preocupante mensaje que Bolsonaro deja a las democracia"

* The opinion of the editor does not represent the average

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