Is President Jair Bolsonaro already campaigning for the next presidential election in October 2022? The mobilization, Sunday May 23, in Rio de Janeiro, like those of May 9 and 15 in Brasilia, strangely resembles a campaign meeting, even if the form is somewhat different.
In Rio de Janeiro, the president traveled 33 km on a motorcycle, surrounded by an impressive peloton of bikers and supervised by nearly 1,000 military police. He went to the city center to deliver a speech, perched on a speaker truck in front of his supporters who sang the national anthem, one hand on his chest. Between 10,000 and 15,000 people, according to the town hall, would have gathered on the way to applaud him.
Fabio, posted on a catwalk, waited nearly two hours to broadcast the passage of the president’s convoy on his social networks: “It’s a way of supporting him, because the media are not going to show this event, that’s for sure. ” This father, who works in finance, ensures that he supports the president for his commitment to the school. “The president understood that education was controlled by the left and that it had to be militarized in order to relearn values to young people”, he considers.
Unable, however, to cite a concrete project of the president in this area, Fabio adds that “It does not happen in four years, it would take twenty years of radical right in power for that”. The man wears a T-shirt with the image of the president, but no mask on his face, like most supporters of the president and like Jair Bolsonaro himself. His answer is often repeated among Bolsonarists: “Our president has shown that hunger kills more than the virus and that we must stop worrying only about Covid-19. “
“Guarantee your freedom”
Officially, this rally was intended to protest against the containment measures taken by the local authorities, and which are considered to be “Unbearable attacks on our freedom”, according to Jacqueline, who wears a Brazilian flag on her shoulders. For this retired lawyer, “Those who have decreed containments want to ruin Brazil. Here, there are only patriots, we love our country and support the economy ”.
Even if there has been no containment for several weeks already, the Head of State made it the main theme of his speech. “Without any scientific evidence, governors and mayors have imposed lockdown or curfew. We are ready to take whatever steps are necessary to guarantee your freedom. My army will never go to the streets to force you to stay at home ”, repeated to the cheers of the crowd a president all smiles, once again presenting the armed forces as subordinates to his orders.
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