Jair Bolsonaro was sworn in as President of Brazil on January first, 2019. He was and apparently still is a huge fan of Donald J. Trump. That doesn't mean he is exactly like our Don T. For instance, Bolsonaro actually served in the Brazilian army for 15 years earning the rank of captain. He was also a member of Brazil's Chamber of Deputies, giving him some political experience before he became president.
Last October he ran for re-election against Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, commonly known as, Lula. Demonstrating his affinity for all things Trump, before a single vote was cast during the election, Bolsonaro began claiming the whole process would be rigged and electronic voting machines would be the main culprits.
Sort of sounds familiar, doesn't it?
It is unclear if, as Trump's people charged, the long dead Hugo Chavez had anything to do with their corruption, or not. It is also unknown if Mr. Bolsonaro believes Italian satellites are in on the fix, or if the Chinese provided any magical bamboo paper for the printouts.
We do know Jair Bolsonaro began screaming foul as soon as the results were in, then began agitating his supporters to somehow overturn the election. He went as far at one point to ask the military to step in, but apparently, they weren't interested.
However, demonstrations were held all over the country. Some included blocking highways and streets with large trucks and other vehicles. Even though his support went international as people like Fox News' Tucker Carlson, and the soon to be incarcerated Steve Bannon cheered him on, democracy seemingly was winning out. On January first, Lula was sworn in as President of Brazil.
Then on the 8th of January, two years and two days after Don Trump's treasonous thugs sacked the U.S. capitol building, pro Bolsonaro mobs did the same in Brasilia, the capital of the world's fifth largest country by area. They were more ambitious than their U.S. counter parts. The mobs hit not only the Brazilian capitol building, but the supreme court, and the presidential palace. For days beforehand the attack had been coordinated through social media. Busses were provided by unknown sources to get many of them there.
Bolsonaro turned out to be a tad craftier than his idol though. Donald Trump stood in front of God and the world on January 6th and incited the U.S. riot on television. He even promised those crazed fucks he'd be there with them. Bolsonaro, on the other hand, was no where near the scene of the crime on the 8th.
There is quite the tradition of crime bosses hanging out in Florida. It predates Trump at Mar A Lago and DeSantis in Tallahassee by decades. In fact, it goes back to at least 1929 when Al Capone sat out the St. Valentine's Day massacre in Miami. Just like Big Al, Jair Bolsonaro was far away from the action, his choice of alibi was Orlando. He is still there, reportedly in a hospital due to stomach pains which began on, you guessed it, 8 January, 2023.
Right now there is a growing call for Joe Biden to kick Bolsonaro out of the U.S. to send him back to Brazil. It isn't known, at this moment, what action Biden will take. What is certain though is Luiz Inacio, Lula da Silva is currently kicking ass and taking names in Brasilia. Instead of taking his own sweet time hundreds of rioters have already been arrested and Lula promises every single person who participated will go to jail. That includes anyone who incited or aided them in any way.
If the United States Justice Department had the same attitude about one half of the republicans currently sitting in the House and a few in the Senate would be doing time right now.
Well, we can always hope.
At least we can take solace in the knowledge the fascists have been turned away from the gates once more. However, they're still here and the menace they present to democracy remains.
Yes, they might call themselves patriots, but their notion of freedom translates to political power. And if they aren't running the place, any place, they will claim it doesn't exist.
1-10-23
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