Jair Bolsonaro
Jair Messias Bolsonaro (born March 21, 1955) is Brazilian politician. He was the 38th President of Brazil from 2019 to 2023.[1] He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1991 until he became president in 2019. He was also a member of the Social Liberal Party (PSL) but left and joined the Liberal Party (PL) in 2021. He is known for his right-wing populist political views.[2][3][4][5] He narrowly lost re-election in the 2022 general election winning 49% of the vote.
Jair Bolsonaro | |
---|---|
President of Brazil | |
In office 1 January 2019 – 31 December 2022 | |
Vice President | Hamilton Mourão |
Preceded by | Michel Temer |
Succeeded by | Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva |
Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
In office 1 February 1991 – 31 December 2018 | |
Constituency | Rio de Janeiro |
Councillor of Rio de Janeiro | |
In office 1 January 1989 – 31 January 1991 | |
Constituency | At-large |
Personal details | |
Born | Jair Messias Bolsonaro 21 March 1955 Glicério, São Paulo, Brazil |
Political party | PL (since 2021) |
Other political affiliations | |
Spouse(s) | Rogéria Nantes Braga
(m. 1978; div. 1997)Ana Cristina Valle
(m. 1997; div. 2007) |
Children | 5, including Flávio, Carlos, and Eduardo |
Alma mater | Agulhas Negras Military Academy |
Signature | |
Military service | |
Branch/service | Brazilian Army |
Years of service | 1973–1988 |
Rank | Captain |
Commands |
|
2018 election
changeBolsonaro was the PSL's presidential candidate in the 2018 Brazilian presidential election.[5] He came in first place in the first round of the general election on 7 October 2018, with PT candidate Fernando Haddad coming in second place. The two candidates faced again on 28 October with Bolsonaro winning the election.[6]
Assassination attempt
changeOn September 6, 2018, Bolsonaro was stabbed multiple times while at a campaign rally in Juiz de Fora.[7] Parts of Bolsonaro's liver, lung and intestine were damaged.[8] He was hospitalized under "extremely stable" condition and released almost a month later on September 29.[9]
Controversy
changeBolsonaro was a open supporter of the military regime in Brazil in 1964. During the impeachment voting session of former President Dilma Rousseff, in his speech, Bolsonaro honored Carlos Alberto Brilhante Ustra, a widely known military colonel in Brazil by have been a torturer of militants and protesters in the Brazilian military dictatorship period.[10][11]
In a television interview in the 1990s for the popular magazine Veja, he also made controversial declarations about the Pinochet's military dictatorship in Chile, praising the Chilean dictator and stating that "the regime should have acted more violently to restore the country.".[12]
Bolsonaro is also notorious for his public speeches, which are perceived as being intolerant. He already spoke against minorities in certain occasions, particularly the LGBT (gay) community. In an interview for the documentary Out There, made by British actor and comedian Stephen Fry, which deals with the rise of homophobia in the world, and aired on the BBC in 2013, the then congressman stated: "No father is proud to have a gay son... We, Brazilians, don't like homosexuals. Not to like isn't the same as to hate.", he added. In a comment about what he heard, Fry said: "Bolsonaro is the typical homophobic that I found around the world, with his mantra that gays want to dominate society, recruit children or abuse them. Even in a progressive country like Brazil, its lies create hysteria among the ignorant, from where violence can arise." [13]
As president, Bolsonaro has downplayed the deadliness of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. He said that the virus is no more deadly than the common flu. On 7 July 2020, Bolsonaro revealed that he had tested positive for COVID-19.[14]
Since 2019, Bolsonaro has faced four separate accusations for crimes against humanity. He is under investigation before the International Criminal Court in The Hague for crimes against humanity, genocide of indigenous peoples and ecocide.[15]
2022 election
changeBolsonaro is running for re-election in the 2022 election, with his main opponent being former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro did not pick Hamilton Mourão as his running mate again, instead choosing General Walter Braga Netto.[16] Throughout the election period, Bolsonaro has said that should he lose, the election would be corrupt and rigged against him.[17] His actions have been compared to former U.S. President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
On 2 October 2022, Bolsonaro advanced to the run-off election on 30 October against Lula.[18] Lula won 48.43% of the vote against Bolsonaro's 43.20%.[19]
Lula was elected in the second round on 30 October, with Bolsonaro becoming the first Brazilian president to lose re-election.[20][21]
Post-presidency
changeWhen Lula was inaugurated on 1 January 2023, Bolsonaro left for the United States in Florida, skipping the ceremony.[22]
On 8 January 2023, supporters of Bolsonaro stormed and invaded the Praça dos Três Poderes in Brasília, taking over the offices of the Supreme Federal Court, National Congress of Brazil and the Palácio do Planalto.[23][24] The Superior Electoral Court blocked Bolsonaro from seeking office until 2030 for his claims of voter fraud and his role in the 2023 congressional attack.[25]He believes that Lula da Silva committed fraud in the 2022 Brazilian Presidential Election and that's why the 8 January Riots were in Brazil.
In July 2024, Brazil’s Federal Police indicted Bolsonaro for money laundering and criminal association in connection with undeclared diamonds the far-right leader received from Saudi Arabia during his time in office.[26]
Political views
changeAn ardent anti-communist, Bolsonaro's positions are often viewed as conservative, populist, nationalist, and are commonly associated with far-right politics,[27] he, however, denies those statements, saying he's aligned with traditional moderate right-wing ideals.[27] He has described himself as being a pro-life, pro-gun and anti-establishment politician.[28][29]
Bolsonaro is a strong opponent of left-wing policies, most notably same-sex marriage, secularism, drug legalization, abortion and environmental preservation.[30] Regarding economic matters, he has advocated for liberal and free-market policies.[31]
Notes
changeReferences
change- ↑ "Right-wing nationalist Jair Bolsonaro sworn in as president of Brazil". Sky News. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
- ↑ Conversations/Jair Bolsonaro; A Soldier Turned Politician Wants To Give Brazil Back to Army Rule
- ↑ "Brazil's Trump? A congressman with presidential ambitions is being compared to Donald Trump. Can he win?". USnews.com. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
- ↑ "O inquietante 'fenômeno Bolsonaro'". brasil.elpais.com (in Portuguese). Retrieved 18 June 2017.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Brazil's congress starts to reform itself". The Economist. 14 October 2017.
- ↑ "Brazil's far-right candidate takes big lead in presidential election". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ↑ Londoño, Ernesto (6 September 2018). "Brazil Presidential Candidate Jair Bolsonaro Is Stabbed at Campaign Rally". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
- ↑ Flávio, Bolsonaro (6 September 2018). "Flávio Bolsonaro 177 Senador_RJ Verified account". Twitter. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
- ↑ "Jair Bolsonaro é internado no Hospital Albert Einstein, em SP". G1 (in Portuguese). Retrieved 7 September 2018.
- ↑ "Brazil: tortured dissidents appalled by Bolsonaro's praise for dictatorship". TheGuardian. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
- ↑ "Brazil's Bolsonaro extols convicted torturer as a 'national hero'". Reuters. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
- ↑ "As homenagens de Bolsonaro a Pinochet e por que o general ainda divide o Chile". BBCBrasil (in Portuguese). Retrieved 17 August 2019.
- ↑ "Há cinco anos, Stephen Fry encontrava Jair Bolsonaro". RevistaForum (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
- ↑ "Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tests positive for coronavirus". CNN. Retrieved 2020-07-07.
- ↑ "Action against Bolsonaro takes an unprecedented step at the International Criminal Court..." Morning Express. 15 July 2021. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ↑ "Bolsonaro afirma que pretende indicar Braga Netto como vice na chapa – Jovem Pan". Bolsonaro afirma que pretende indicar Braga Netto como vice na chapa – Jovem Pan (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2022-06-26. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ↑ "Vídeo de fraude em urna divulgado por Flávio Bolsonaro é falso, diz TRE-MG". UOL Eleições 2018. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
- ↑ "Brazil's Lula and Bolsonaro face run-off after surprisingly tight result". Yahoo. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
- ↑ "Resultados" (in Portuguese). TSE. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
- ↑ "Análise das Eleições 2022: Veja Detalhes dos Resultados da Votação". noticias.uol.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ↑ "Resultados – TSE". resultados.tse.jus.br. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ↑ Gadelha, Igor (8 January 2023). "Anderson Torres viajou para Orlando na véspera das invasões". Metropoles.
- ↑ Nicas, Jack; Spigariol, André (8 January 2023). "Bolsonaro Supporters Lay Siege to Brazil's Capital". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ↑ Bowman, Emma (8 January 2023). "Security forces regain control after Bolsonaro supporters storm Brazil's Congress". NPR. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ↑ Nicas, Jack (June 30, 2023). "Brazil Moves to Bar Bolsonaro From Office for Election-Fraud Claims". The New York Times. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- ↑ "Brazilian police indict ex-President Bolsonaro in undeclared diamonds case, sources say". AP News. 2024-07-04. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Boadle, Anthony (27 September 2017). "Far-right presidential hopeful aims to be Brazil's Trump". London, England. Reuters. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- ↑ "Outspoken pro-life candidate leads in Brazil's presidential election race". Retrieved 27 October 2018.
- ↑ Phillips, Tom (2018-04-19). "Trump of the tropics: the 'dangerous' candidate leading Brazil's presidential race". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
- ↑ Atkins, Ed (2018-10-29). "Jair Bolsonaro's Brazil Is a Disaster for the Amazon and Global Climate Change". Motherboard. Retrieved 2018-10-30.
- ↑ "Bolsonaro diz que é liberal e adota discurso que agrada investidores". 1.folha.uol.com.br.
Other websites
changeMedia related to Jair Bolsonaro at Wikimedia Commons
- Bolsonaro official web site Archived 2015-06-08 at the Wayback Machine