Brazilian politics lurched to the far right Sunday after congressman Jair Bolsonaro won the presidency of Latin America’s largest nation. Bolsonaro, 63, is a former army captain who has appalled critics and thrilled supporters over his views on abortion, the environment, immigration, race, women and more. He won with a promise to restore law and order and prioritise family values. Conservative Michel Temer has led Brazil for the last two years. His relatively brief tenure follows the impeachment of left wing President Dilma Rousseff. Bolsonaro is a pro-gun, pro-torture, small-government politician who said he is “in favour of dictatorship”. He has been charged with hate speech by Brazil’s attorney general and was stabbed and nearly died while campaigning for the presidency. Here’s what else Bolsonaro has said: Politics “Since I was a bachelor at the time, I used the money to have sex with people.” Explaining in a 2018 Brazilian newspaper interview how he spent the official housing allowance money he received as a congressman. “Elections won’t change anything in this country. It will only change on the day that we break out in civil war here and do the job that the military regime didn’t do: killing 30,000. If some innocent people die, that’s fine. In every war, innocent people die. From a 1999 interview on Brazilian television. Race “I visited a quilombo (a settlement founded and organised by the descendants of slaves) and the least heavy afro-descendant weighed seven arrobas (about 105kg). They do nothing! They are not even good for procreation.” From a 2017 speech at Rio de Janeiro’s Hebraica Club, a community centre. Rape “I wouldn’t rape you because you don’t deserve it.” From a 2014 exchange with congresswoman Maria do Rosario in Brazil’s lower house. Rosario had claimed that Bolsonaro’s remarks had encouraged rape. In a subsequent newspaper interview, Bolsonaro said Rosario was “not worth raping; she is very ugly.” Sexual orientation “I would prefer my son to die in an accident than be gay.” From a 2011 interview with Playboy magazine. Bolsonaro said he “would be incapable of loving a homosexual son,” adding: “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!” Torture “I’m in favour of torture, you know that. And the people are in favour as well.” From an appearance on Brazilian television in 1999. Women “Because women get more labour 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.” From an appearance on Brazilian television in 2016. “A moment of weakness.” Describing in a speech this year that he had a daughter after four sons.
