Thread by @RobertoRocco

For those outside Brazil, it’s difficult to imagine the significance of Lula’s victory & Bolsonaro’s defeat. This was not a “normal” election between candidates who diverge ideologically in a “normal” democracy, but a battle for democracy & for the soul of the country (1/)

It’s useful to know Brazil was caught right in the middle of the Cold War and the fight against “communism”. In 1960, João Goulart (pic) was elected on a progressive platform, which made the US exceedingly nervous. In 1964, with the help of the CIA there’s a military coup (2).

Along with (later) dictatorships in Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina & Chile, Brazil went through a period of harsh dictatorship with accompanying lack of accountability, rampant corruption and desperately unimaginative & brutal rule. This ended in 1986 after much protest. (3)

I was a young man then and I could witness this transition which culminated with the enactment of the 1988 constitution, a progressive document supported by social movements. Despite many advances, the old ruling elites and corrupt political structures remained (4)

In the following years, there was social agitation, hyperinflation & political turmoil, but the old “owners of the country” (agro industrial barons, the military, political elites) remained in place. Until the election of Fernando Collor, a handsome playboy from the elite (5)

Collor was the runner up against Lula, then a left wing representative elected with the most votes the previous election. Lula was a rough man of humble beginnings and an Union leader. Collor was much closer to what Brazilians thought was a “proper” presidential candidate.

But with all his flair and good looks, Collor was a disaster! He implemented several shocks to the economy, including a complete confiscation of people’s savings (please realize I’m simplifying a little bit for the sake of brevity). Collor was democratically impeached.

This was my second real political experience in the streets of São Paulo. I had joined demonstrations years before in support of Lula’s candidacy. I always felt the Worker’s Party was the only really powerful progressive force in Brazilian politics.

Fast forward a few years and Brazil embarked in a process of “liberalization of the economy” (a neoliberal wave) that completely reorganized Brazilian life culturally and politically. This wave had been started by Collor and pursued by successive Presidents. In exchange …

We got economic stability. Anyone cognizant in Brazil then was schooled in neoliberal economic policy. Meanwhile Lula kept trying to get elected to the presidency. He tried several times and was finally elected in 2002 after defeating an exceedingly boring centre right candidate!

And what a ride it was! Brazil flourished culturally and economically. Millions were brought in the formal labour market, millions more were lifted out of absolute poverty. Hundreds of new universities, hospitals and schools were built.

Lula governed for two terms & made his successor, our first woman president, Dilma Rousseff, a former student agitator & guerrillera who nevertheless had made a name as a technical administrator in the federal government with a degree in economics. Lula left gov as the most…

Popular president Brazil had ever seen. His approval rate was 87% in his last month as president according to IBOPE pt.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficheiro:…

But Dilma was not a very popular politician. Don’t get me wrong: she was very good but obviously lacked the same charisma as Lula. Her first term went well. But the second term was marked by an economic crisis, social unrest and accusations of corruption against her allies.

Dilma was finally “legally impeached” but the evidence against her was so flimsy, most progressive people in Brazil see this as a “soft coup”. It was nothing but soft. By this time, something weird started happening. A popular movement against PT got stronger, helped by …

Weird actors and agitators. It was the beginning of the “big hate” that split Brazilian families and polarised people. Social media took centre stage in Brazilian politics. Elections started to be decided on Facebook (Continues)

Dilma’s impeachment was the Pandora’s box of the breakdown of democratic norms & the rise of far right rhetoric in Brazil. By then, people had discovered hate is lucrative. And if you don’t have much to say, you can always hate. After an interim president, Bolsonaro was elected.

But not before Lula was accused of fraud & corruption & imprisoned, so that he could not run against Bolsonaro. My tweeting abilities do not allow me to describe the “Lava Jato” investigation that wrecked the PT and many other political parties in Brazil. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation…

Operation Car Wash was a sobering insight into Brazilian politics and its in and outs with private companies. Although much of it happened under Lula’s watch, the investigation was clearly manipulated to take Lula out. He ended up cleared of any wrongdoing (after the elections).

It’s important to acknowledge that there was a huge mobilisation of Brazilian society against Bolsonaro’s candidacy with the “#EleNão” movement #Nothim en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ele_Não_m…

But with Bolsonaro installed, a project of destruction was in place. During his tenure Bolsonaro did his utmost best to dismantle & discredit democratic institutions, & hate became a common instrument. This led to the polarisation of the country and erosion of faith in democracy.

This was not another “neoliberal” government but a fanatic radical project of destruction of the Brazilian civil society and its democratic institutions. There was massive disinvestment in research and education, public health, the protection of the Amazon, etc.

Bolsonaro’s government was based on bio politics: the more death and suffering, the most radicalized his followers, and the tighter his grip on power. Hate was the everyday bread Brazilians were eating in the last years. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biopoliti…