brazilian crossroads

What is the crossroads of the first economic power Latin America. And what a political moment we are experiencing on the continent and in the world. The blurring of the democracy-capitalism binomial, the passage of the pandemic, increased inequality, social and political polarization, and the rise of the positions and leaders of the extreme right and left are turning the world into a pressure cooker that is about to explode.

Brazil held presidential elections last Sunday. Ignatius Lula da Silvawho ruled the South American country from 2003 to 2010, led the way in electoral preference but without the required number to declare himself the winner, leading him to a runoff against the current president, Jair Bolsonaro.

Both political proposals, the proposal of the current president of the country bossa nova and the former president Lula, are completely dissonant. Bolsonaro, mounted on the far right, is drenched in speech racist, misogynist, homophobe and nostalgist dictatorship that his country suffered from, he seeks a second term, despite how disastrous his administration has been in many ways.

The other star of this production is former President Lula, a humble worker from Pernambuco who transformed his country and lifted millions out of poverty. Both he and Bolsonaro inspire loyalty and rejection in equal measure – da Silva was imprisoned for alleged corruption linked to the Petrobras giant.

The second round of elections will take place on Sunday, October 30, so before the end of the month, both candidates, each of whom are at opposite ends of the political spectrum, will have to convince doubters to win. The results of last Sunday, there is no one to rest on their laurels, as it became clear that, in spite of everything, Jair Bolsonaro maintains strong support for his project for the country.

Whatever the final outcome, it seems to me that what is most disturbing on the current political scene is the deep social divisions that exist in societies almost all over the world, especially in the West. Right and left, the narrative, both left and right, appeals to the rhetoric of confrontation, fear and rejection of the other. And this scenario should be of concern to all of us, because this is not a climate that is unique to Brazil, Italy, France, the United States or Spain. We are suffering here and in many other latitudes.

The inability to listen to the other and the fruitless and intestinal dispute between the right and the left – one should analyze how relevant these terms are today – are leading us nowhere as a society. Or, at least, it does not contribute to mutual understanding and reconciliation of our differences, which are so acute today.

If public debate becomes ever more bitter and aggressive, if we continue to bet on extreme political proposals that fail to inspire dialogue, dissension and the true spirit of democracy, then we should have no doubt that our civilization as we know it , is in the grave. Danger. What is happening in Brazil, as in other parts of the world, confirms the disappearance of the center as a political option; today’s extremes.

JAVIER GARCIA BEYOS
EMPLOYEE
@JGARCIABEJOS

MAAZ