In Brazil, the Democratic camp is mobilizing against Jair Bolsonaro

A long table had been set up on Thursday, August 11, at the entrance to the Faculty of Law of the University of Sao Paulo to distribute breakfasts to the homeless, who are now legion in the center of the megalopolis. Behind, volunteers from the Landless Movement were busy serving coffee. This organization has adhered, like many others, to the “Letter to Brazilian men and women for the defense of democracy”, written by members of the Faculty of Law and since signed by more than a million people and many schools and universities.

The mobilization gained momentum on Thursday, when thousands of Brazilians took to the streets of several major cities in the country to “defending democracy”. This movement, supported by lawyers, trade unions and employers’ organizations, intends to respond to the attacks of the far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, against the institutions less than two months before the presidential election, scheduled for October 2.

“Distributing food is a way for us to remember that our democracy will never be perfect as long as 33 million of our compatriots are hungry”, comments Joao, buttering buns at a remarkable pace. On the patio of the faculty, speakers took turns at the podium to discuss in particular the social situation and the racism suffered by blacks in the young Brazilian democracy. On the walls, banners claiming “A democracy without hunger” et “Never again dictatorship” had been hung.

At the origin of this mobilization, the Letter is inspired by that written within this same faculty of Sao Paulo in 1977 to oppose the dictatorial regime. This heritage is evoked from the very first lines of the text, which further recalls that “the threats to the rule of law, the incitement to violence and the breakdown of the constitutional order are intolerable”without ever mentioning Jair Bolsonaro by name.

Reference to Donald Trump

The letter, on the other hand, clearly refers to Donald Trump’s attempt to reverse the result of the 2020 presidential election in the United States, a model which his Brazilian counterpart seems to be inspired by in his rhetoric. “We have recently witnessed authoritarian excesses that have endangered the secular democracy of North America. There, attempts to destabilize democracy have failed. They won’t win here either.”, can we read.

You have 39.13% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.

–