October 2022: A Very Toxic Month in Brazil
A Carnival of fake news! I landed in Rio de Janeiro on the eve of the first round of the presidential elections. Jair Bolsonaro, the right-wing president lost to come-back kid Luiz Ign รก cio Lula da Silva. The incumbent had about six million votes less than Lula; but it was not the rout the polls had predicted. This result made Brazilians either anxious or elated depending on one’s politics. I was behind with my blogging and eager to write something, but the tense and poisonous situation worked as a creative block. One month later inspiration returned: Lula had won the runoff, but barely. Alleluia all the same: Bolsonaro had been ousted. Between the Bad and the Ugly, the Bad had won! For the Good, Brazilians will have to wait a bit longer. In Brazil (as in the United States) presidential elections take place every four years. Until now, they played more like a soccer game with passionate fans and sp...