Far-right congressman Jair Bolsonaro has swept the presidential election in Brazil.
The former army captain – who has been nicknamed the “Trump of the Tropics” – is a pro-gun, pro-torture, misogynistic anti-gay politician who claims he is in “favour of dictatorship”. His election has caused widespread panic in the country for his staunch, backward views.
In the past, Bolsonaro has said he’d rather his son die in an accident than be gay, and in an interview with Playboy, he said he “would be incapable of loving a homosexual son.” He added: “If a gay couple came to live in my building, my property will lose value. If they walk around holding hands, kissing, it will lose value!”
Bolsonaro also caused controversy in 2014 when he told congresswoman Maria do Rosario: “I wouldn’t rape you because you don’t deserve it.” In a later interview, he said she was “not worth raping; she is very ugly.”
The far-right congressman has said of women: “Because women get more labor rights than men, meaning they get maternity leave, the employer prefers to hire men. I would not employ (a woman) with the same salary (of a man). But there are many women who are competent.”
On top of that, he made racist remarks during a 2017 speech at Rio de Janeiro’s Hebraica Club, in which he said: “I visited a quilombo (a settlement founded and organized by the descendants of slaves) and the least heavy afro-descendant weighed seven arrobas (about 230 pounds). They do nothing! They are not even good for procreation.”
He also claimed he’s in favour of torture – because “the people are in favour” – during an appearance on Brazilian television in 1999.
In his victory speech, Bolsonaro said he was a “defender of freedom” who intends to run a government that protects citizens who “follow their duties and respect the laws,” adding: “The laws are for everyone, this is how it will be during our constitutional and democratic government.”
During a recent “Women Against Bolsonaro march” in Sao Paulo, protest organiser Luka Franca said: “Bolsonaro has opened a Pandora box. He’s given a voice to an ultra right population who want to voice their prejudice and annihilate anyone who is different.”
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