President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) turned the September 7 holiday celebrations into campaign rallies in Brasília and Rio de Janeiro, repeating coup-mongering threats in front of thousands of supporters, but in a milder tone than that of the same holiday last year.
On top of sound cars, he asked for votes, reinforced his conservative speech, and drew attention to First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro with sexist statements.
The president, from the platforms set up in both cities, left aside the Bicentennial of Independence to focus on his campaign rhetoric, less than a month away from the first round of elections
Despite the repetition of threats against the Federal Supreme Court and the dissemination of authoritarian messages during the acts, Bolsonaro reduced the coup-mongering tone adopted in the 2021 demonstration, when he went so far as to preach disobedience to the judiciary and called Justice Alexandre de Moraes a "bastard".
The president has focused his attacks on former president Lula (PT), who is leading in the electoral polls. "I'm not very polite, I curse, but I'm not a thief", asserting that the left wing should be extirpated from public life.
In the morning, in Brasilia, Bolsonaro praised Michelle Bolsonaro and, in a sexist tone, chanted "imbrochável" ('extremely virile man who never loses an erection')*** and tried to make a comparison with the other first ladies – but without directly naming sociologist Rosângela da Silva, Janja, Lula’s wife.
Despite the historical celebratory date due to the Bicentennial of the Brazilian Independence, the event in Brasília was not attended by the presidents of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), and of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), or the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Luiz Fux.
Translated by Cassy Dias