President Jair Bolsonaro delivered a relatively moderate first speech during Brazil’s Independence Day celebrations as he seeks the support of undecided voters to boost his flagging campaign less than a month before general elections.
(Bloomberg) — President Jair Bolsonaro delivered a relatively moderate first speech during Brazil’s Independence Day celebrations as he seeks the support of undecided voters to boost his flagging campaign less than a month before general elections.
Thousands of his supporters gathered in Brasilia on Wednesday to watch a traditional military parade and join in a pro-government demonstration taking place right after. The event in Brazil’s capital was peaceful, amid increased police force to protect public buildings, particularly the country’s top court that’s become the main target of the president’s fiery rhetoric.
Yet during a 10-minute speech delivered after the official parade, seen by investors as a gauge of potential post-election turmoil, Bolsonaro talked about traditional family values and steered clear of direct confrontation with top justices, mentioning the court only once.
“I’m very happy to have shown that knowledge sets people free; today you all know what is the executive power, the lower house, the Senate and the Supreme Court,” he told cheering supporters from the top of a truck. “Let’s all vote on Oct. 2, let’s convince those who think differently, let’s convince them of what’s best for Brazil.”
The right-wing leader, struggling to catch up with leftist front-runner Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, desperately needs the support of moderate Brazilians who will ultimately decide who wins the highly polarized election. His usually aggressive rhetoric has been alienating such voters who, according to opinion polls, are tired of the country’s bellicose political climate.
Read More: Brazil Deploys 10,000 Cops in Capital Before Bolsonaro Rally
Pressure on Bolsonaro is building as he’s largely stalled in recent opinion polls. A PoderData survey released Wednesday showed he would receive 37% of the votes on Oct. 2, versus 44% for Lula.
Seizing the Celebration
The former army captain is betting on a strong show of popular support during military parades taking place across the country to energize his campaign. In a couple of interviews Tuesday, he called on his followers to participate in the events, promising they would be unlike anything “ever seen in Brazil.”
Opposition parties have criticized his strategy, saying it turns a traditional celebration into campaign rallies. Heads of Brazil’s congress and Supreme Court skipped the parade as they tried to distance themselves from the politically charged atmosphere. Presidents of Portuguese-speaking countries were present as this year’s event marks two centuries of Brazil’s independence from Portugal.
Bolsonaro’s supporters in Brasilia carried signs demanding a military intervention and a new constitution. Some asked for the impeachment of top Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who’s authorized a series of investigations involving the president and his allies for allegedly spreading fake news.
Concern that Bolsonaro would mimic former US President Donald Trump and try to overturn the election’s result in case he’s defeated continue to haunt electoral authorities, and even investors who have started to position themselves for the possibility — still largely considered unlikely — of post-election turmoil akin to the Jan. 6 riots in the US.
Read More: Trump-Like Election Threat Becoming a Tail Risk for Brazil
Before the parade, however, Bolsonaro described the years of 1964 and 2016, when the military stagged a coup and when Dilma Rousseff was impeached, respectively, as “difficult moments” Brazilians have been through.
“History can repeat itself,” he said after a prayer in the presidential palace, in remarks that were broadcast on social media. “Good has always won over evil.”
(Recasts story with more details of Brasilia’s events.)
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