President Bolsonaro has delivered fiery speeches to tens of thousands of supporters at rallies ahead of a divisive election on 2 October when opinion polls suggest he will be defeated. Bolsonaro has repeatedly attacked Supreme Court justices, alleging (without any evidence) that Brazil’s electronic voting system is vulnerable to widespread fraud. Legal experts have rejected that allegation, and critics accuse him of sowing doubt ahead of the election to dispute the results, as was done by Donald Trump, whom Bolsonaro has emulated. ‘Bolsonaro, activate the military to depose the Supreme Court,’ said one banner carried by Suely Ferreira who said, ‘Our country is being ruined by the high court’s dictatorship. We love our president. Everyone I know supports him. He will win. There’s no way he could lose.’ The president’s attacks on the voting system have stirred calls for a military coup from some more radical backers, fuelling concerns that the nation could see election-related violence.
Brazil: Bolsonaro leads massive rallies
Written by David Fletcher 09 Sep 2022Additional Info
- Pray: for Bolsonaro to conduct himself peacefully, and for evil to be revealed for what it is. (1 Peter 3:11)
- More: www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/7/brazils-bolsonaro-leads-massive-independence-day-rally
Tagged under