Brazil riots a warning on how democracies can be undermined from within

Brazil riots a warning on how democracies can be undermined from within

Often, as with Bolsonaro, the elected authoritarian draws a line between the will of the majority (when he is elected) and the values of pluralism.

The comparison was obvious — and inevitable. Nearly two years to the day after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots in the US, thousands of supporters of former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the presidential palace, apex court building and other seats of state power in Brasilia on Sunday. The violence and vandalism came just a week after Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was sworn in. President Lula has vowed action against the “vandals, neo-fascists and fanatics” and federalised the law and order machinery in the capital. Yet, what is at stake in Brazil — as it was in the US after Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the legislature, refusing to accept his electoral defeat — is far more important. It holds lessons for democracies across the world on the consequences of the words, actions and politics of elected authoritarians.

Like Trump, Bolsonaro has consistently questioned the legitimacy of elections. In essence, if these leaders lost the polls they are “fixed” and if they won, it’s a people’s victory. But the questioning of elections is just the final step in the steady erosion of democratic principles, institutions and values. This begins with undermining the opposition’s legitimate place in a polity and even questioning other wings of the state such as the judiciary. Often, as with Bolsonaro, the elected authoritarian draws a line between the will of the majority (when he is elected) and the values of pluralism. This is seen in the targeting of minorities, dissidents and others as being anti-state and nation when they may well merely be questioning the government.

Bolsonaro has tried to distance himself from the rioters while stopping short of condemning them outright. This is precisely the kind of dog-whistle politics — a nudge and wink to foot soldiers, while paying lip service to the rule of law — that has become a hallmark of a particular kind of populist, majoritarian politics and one which undermines democracy. In it, there is a lesson on how democracies can be undermined from within. How Brazil’s current leadership — and its institutions — tackle the situation could be a model to follow or an example to avoid.