Brazil: Jair Bolsonaro Officially Launches Reelection Bid Amid Controversies
Brazil's Liberal Party recently held its party convention inside a stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. The party approved there the nomination of current Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
That means that Bolsonaro's reelection bid for the highest position in the country is official. According to the Associated Press, the party's recognition of Bolsonaro's candidacy was "widely expected and merely symbolic."
The president had been effectively campaigning for months now, heading to various locations in the country to gather support and tell people not to vote for former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, better known as Lula, who is currently leading in the polls.
Also expected was Bolsonaro hitting leftist ideologies during his speech, saying their ideologies have never worked anywhere in the world. He told the crowd that it comforts him that a communist is not sitting in his post now.
CBS reported that though there were long lines in the stadium, there were still dozens of empty seats. However, the supporters were all repeating Bolsonaro's words, warning that Brazil could be like Venezuela when the leftists continue their rule.
They also said they do not trust the polls, showing that Bolsonaro is losing to Lula by double digits. Many believe this was a battle between good and evil and said Bolsonaro was the only hope for the country.
Often compared to Donald Trump, Bolsonaro is quite controversial. Under him, the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest increased at an alarming rate. Although claiming to be pro-business, the Brazilian economy continued to lag under Bolsonaro, according to CNBC.
He offered quick magical solutions, but it never really improved Brazil. Bolsonaro was criticized for his inactions as the coronavirus ravaged the country and its economy. At the height of the pandemic, Bolsonaro even peddled conspiracy theories.
Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro Looking to Wife to Help Appeal to Female Voters
One of the areas where Jair Bolsonaro lacked support was with women. For that, he turned to his wife, evangelical Christian Michelle Bolsonaro, who told everyone that her husband was "God's Chosen One."
Bolsonaro also went with Gen. Walter Braga Netto as his vice president. This went against the wishes of his allies and advisers, who wanted him to pick former agriculture minister Tereza Cristina.
His handling of the pandemic, anti-vaccine rhetoric, and the overall "toxic masculinity" of his campaigns was one of the reasons experts noted that he was losing female voters.
Jair Bolsonaro Losing by Double Digits to Luiz inacio Lula Da Silva
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is currently enjoying a comfortable lead in the polls, which is not sitting well with Jair Bolsonaro.
In a move inspired by Donald Trump, Bolsonaro has been accusing the country's electoral commission of bias against Lula and claiming that the electronic voting systems can easily be hacked.
Brazil's electoral authority has already debunked these claims. However, he still persists with his allegations. According to the latest survey by pollster Datafolha, 47% of voters prefer Lula, while only 28% prefer Bolsonaro.
He only has three months to narrow down this double-digit lead. However, political analysts expect the race to tighten in the coming months as the Brazilian economy slowly recovers from the pandemic.
READ MORE: Brazil Elections: Jair Bolsonaro Continues to Sow Doubts on Election as He Lags in Polls
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro Officially Launches His Presidential Re-Election Campaign - From FRANCE 24 English
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!