RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – (Opinion) Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) Justice Alexandre de Moraes, one of the main opponents of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, warned Thursday (28) that the latter’s candidacy for the 2022 elections will be suspended if there is “massive use of fake news” by the “Bolsonaro militia”, assuring that those responsible for spreading it “will go to jail for attacking the elections and democracy.”
Given the inherent level of provocation and arbitrariness contained in this statement, the question arises as to what is to be considered “fake news” and who can, or may, determine the definition of the same.
In the course of time, the term “fake news” has become so hackneyed, amorphous, and meaningless that anyone can fill this empty word sleeve with whatever content suits them.
In recent months, it has become evident that there is so much bad blood between some elements of the Brazilian judiciary (STF Justice Alexandre de Moraes and the current presiding judge of the Superior Electoral Court TSE, STF Justice Luis Barroso) and the Brazilian president that Justice de Moraes’ threat is seen by many as the prelude to yet another battle over what is the central question in Brazil: who holds actually the power in this country? The elected president or the highly politicized Federal Supreme Court (STF)?
In this context, it is also appropriate to ask who, in the end, is really endangering democracy: A defiant and politically incorrect Bolsonaro, with all his shortcomings, and his rebellious supporters, by publishing inconvenient narratives (or, in new speech, “fake news”), or else an unbridled, uncontrolled, all-powerful Supreme Court Justice who dares threatening the President’s supporters that they better shut up, or else he will decide at an opportune moment – arbitrarily and unilaterally – what he considers to be “fake news”, thus summarily removing one of the leading presidential candidates from circulation.
What will lead to more turmoil, resistance, opposition and rebellion? Bolsonaro supporters being allowed to say what they think, or Bolsonaro supporters being muzzled and censored?
During the large-scale demonstrations organized by Bolsonaro supporters in many Brazilian cities on September 7, it became clear to anyone who looked closely that too little attention is being paid to an important reality in this country.
Bolsonaro has many, very many, supporters, their anger, frustration and resentment are close to the boiling point, and are directed primarily against the STF and Congress, pinnacles of the Judicial and Legislative branches of government, respectively.
As if the tension were not already enough, STF Justice Alexandre de Moraes, openly hostile to the President, will succeed Justice Barroso and assume the office of presiding judge of the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE) in August 2022 and thus oversee the presidential elections in October.
Can you add more fuel to the fire?
At no time should it be forgotten that Jair Bolsonaro is not a man who will easily roll over. He himself is used to getting what he wants and equipped with an iron will. As in a dogfight, two belligerent quarrelers are knowingly and intentionally set upon each other to clash head-on in an issue as important as the presidential election. It doesn’t take a crystal ball to predict a challenging 2022 for the country in view of these realities.
This begs the question: How can Brazilian institutions allow this to happen?
In recent months, tensions between the two men have increased significantly. This is a personal enmity, loaded with exuberant emotions and vanity, the extent of which is felt by the entire country.
The situation has the potential to damage Brazil at a time when a united front is needed to address the challenges of the pandemic, climate change, growing poverty, hunger, widespread authoritarian tendencies, outside interference and increasing civil unrest.
Is there no awareness in Brasilia of the damage that such an electoral setting could entail? The country would be well advised to stop washing its dirty laundry in front of the whole world.
If squabbles between representatives of different branches of government do exist, they must take place and be fought out behind closed doors. The country must not continue to make a fool of itself. This great nation deserves more.
It is up to the institutions of Brazil to see coming dangers early on and to set their course in a way that does not endanger image and reputation.
Brazil has everything a country could wish for. Infinite riches in the soil, a creative, diverse and multi-layered population, a huge market, an impressive footprint in creating competitive businesses for the digital age, and an innate generosity of its warm-hearted people that is second to none. And on top of that, it’s beautiful.
It is the nation’s elite that prevent the country from advancing to the top of the world.
It would be easy to position Brazil sustainably as an anchor in the Americas and as an attractive investment location in the minds of the global community.
But for this to happen, open confrontations and provocations like those described above had better stop. The country and its leaders should always be aware that it is too big to fail and that its much smaller neighbors in South America need a reliable, confident, open and accessible Brazil.