CIVICUS speaks about the rise of the far right in Brazil with Flávia Pellegrino, executive coordinator of the Pact for Democracy.
The Pact for Democracy is a civil society coalition that coordinates the efforts of several social groups with different visions, backgrounds and identities, with the aim of strengthening the work of civil society and defending and reinvigorating Brazilian democracy.
Do you think the far right represents a danger to Brazilian democracy?
The Brazilian far right remains a growing and well-coordinated political force. Despite the fact that a democratic president was elected in 2022, we can’t say this election was a real triumph for democracy, since almost half of Brazilian voters again opted for Jair Bolsonaro’s autocratic power project and the far right claimed a significant share of elected positions in the federal congress and state governments.
We also experienced an anti-democratic escalation on 8 January 2023, when the far right orchestrated a coup attempt to try to oust the legitimate, democratically elected government and establish a military intervention. Although the coup attempt failed, anti-democratic political leaders and their supporters continue to be active and seek to invert the meaning of democracy and narratives about threats to the democratic rule of law.
The municipal elections scheduled for October will be an important test of the political and electoral strength of the far right, and prospects for the democratic camp are not very encouraging. In addition to the fact that the far right is likely to make electoral advances, we are likely to again witness systematic disinformation, political violence and the sowing of suspicions about the credibility of the electoral system. It will be a preamble to what awaits us in the 2026 national election.
What is Bolsonaro’s legal situation and what are his chances of returning to the centre of Brazilian politics?
In 2023, the Superior Electoral Court declared Bolsonaro ineligible for eight years after the 2022 election. It acknowledged Bolsonaro’s abuse of political power, misuse of the media and attacks on the electoral system. His participation in the 8 January coup attempt is also under investigation. If he is prosecuted and convicted of crimes against the democratic rule of law, he could be declared ineligible for more than 30 years.
Despite being unable to run in the coming years, Bolsonaro has not left the centre of Brazilian politics and is unlikely to do so any time soon. One proof of his strength and public support was the large demonstration held in São Paulo in February 2024, in which hundreds of thousands of people defended his innocence while he is being prosecuted for crimes against democracy. Because he faces so many investigations, Bolsonaro tries to stay out of the spotlight on a daily basis, and only makes very well-staged and calculated appearances to show political strength.
In addition, Bolsonaro’s traditional allies continue to hold numerous legislative seats and other significant positions of power. The 2024 municipal elections will test him through the performance of the candidates he supports. But regardless of the outcome of these elections, his strength in Brazilian politics is likely to last for years.
Why has Elon Musk become a rallying point for Brazilian far-right groups?
Under the pretext of defending freedom of expression, a narrative is being created that regulating social media platforms is a form of censorship. Bolsonaro is attacking the Supreme Court because it acted to prevent the coup and stop his discrediting of the electoral process. As part of his attacks on the court, he propagates this discourse that the judiciary is promoting censorship. So when Elon Musk made statements against the blocking of accounts that spread disinformation and were being investigated for the 8 January attacks, the anti-democratic groups behind this disinformation sided with him.
If completely unregulated, social media is the ideal environment for fuelling disinformation, which is why it is so important to these groups. The regulation of social media platforms, which has been widely debated in Congress and has the support of civil society, is constantly attacked under the false narrative of censorship. We believe regulation is the way forward. It will bring legal certainty to users, technology companies and everyone who defends freedom of expression and the preservation of the democratic rule of law.
Have there been civic space improvements since the end of the Bolsonaro administration?
We are in the process of recovering from the serious and profound setbacks experienced during the Bolsonaro period. The open hostility and attacks on voices critical of the federal government have stopped, the press is able to play its role freely, and civil society is no longer systematically criminalised for its actions. One of President Lula’s first measures was the resumption of important channels of dialogue between the government and civil society and the re-establishment of institutional spaces for social participation, such as councils and other bodies that exist in all ministries.
Initiatives such as the Participatory Brazil programme were launched to encourage the government to open up to citizens. However, much remains to be done to strengthen and protect civic space in its entirety, including by making these re-established spaces more effective and treating social participation as the central element recognised by the Federal Constitution in all branches of government, particularly the legislative.
To what extent has civil society recovered the exercise of its full range of roles?
Brazilian civil society has shown a remarkable monitoring capacity, resilience and determination in the face of the challenges of recent years. It has played a key role in the face of systematic attacks on democracy. However, to continue this vital work, civil society needs recognition and effective guarantees of social participation as a pillar of our democratic system, as well as continued openness, support and capacity strengthening by the Brazilian state, philanthropic organisations and the international community.
We need to connect better with the international community so the pro-democracy movement in Brazil and around the world becomes stronger and is capable of confronting and overcoming the wave of autocratisation currently sweeping across the planet.
Civic space in Brazil is rated ‘obstructed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor.
Get in touch with the Pact for Democracy via its website or Facebook page, and follow @PactoDemocracia on Twitter and Instagram.
