Brazil’s Right-Wing Candidate Invokes Extreme Views from Voters

By Lise Alves, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Former army captain and currently with a very comfortable lead in Brazil’s Presidential election, Jair Bolsonaro, is the type of candidate that invokes extreme sentiments on Brazilian voters: either you love him or hate him.

Trying to sell himself as an outsider, the 63-year-old Congressional representative is anything but. Bolsonaro is currently in his seventh term as a federal representative, having served almost thirty years as a Congressman for several political parties.

For those rooting for Bolsonaro, the fact that the candidate has not shared what he plans to do if he does win is not as important as the idea that ‘he is honest’.

“Today with politicians from every political party involved in some kind of corruption scandal, Bolsonaro at least stands as symbol of honesty,” says consultant Eder Carvalhaes.

“He may not be ideal, but of all the candidates we have now he is our best choice,” concludes the consultant.

Those who oppose him, criticize his attacks on women and the LGBT community as well as his defense of the military dictatorship in Brazil during the 1960s and 1970s.

In the last few weeks a movement with the hashtag #NotHim has sprung up in social media, garnering support from millions of Brazilians scared of what the former captain will do if he wins the presidency in October.

“It is really scary to think that a guy like that can become president of Brazil for the next four years,” says psychologist Larissa Silva in Sao Paulo. “I vote in another municipality and on Sunday (October 7th) I’m going to call an Uber driver to take me to vote. We cannot let him win.”

Currently Bolsonaro is leading the race with polls registering him with over 30 percent of the valid votes. The candidate, however, also has one of the highest rejection rates among candidates, totaling 47.7 percent in the latest poll.