Brazil’s Bolsonaro completes 1,000 days of government, warns of Lula da Silva’s potential return

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Bolsonaro’s 1,000 days in office speech was marked by clear references to the October 2, 2022 elections, in which he will most likely run for a second term, although early polls suggest he might fight an uphill battle.

However, since the elections are more than a year away, it is too early to draw sustainable conclusions from polls.

In the 1,000 days celebration, the conservative leader made several references to the corruption scandals that implicated both Lula and the Workers’ Party (PT) in the past and assured that in his government these illegal practices “may not have been eliminated” but “much progress” has been made in fighting them.

“We have 1,000 days with no corruption. Obviously it was not eliminated. But if corruption were to occur, we would take the appropriate measures,” because “this government does not tolerate it” and has “greatly improved” the fight against these illegal practices, he assured.

He also cited investigations that affect him and 4 of his children, but assured that there is “nothing” to implicate them. “It is not easy. They are picking on my family. There is a case, an investigation, but they have nothing,” the President said.

VENEZUELA’S “PATH”

Bolsonaro again stirred up the leftist ghost and said that in 2022, voters who complain about his government should think that “nothing is that bad” and that “everything could get worse.”

“He who forgets the past is condemned to have no future” and “do not think that certain things that happen with our neighbors cannot happen to us,” Bolsonaro said, noting that in the 2022 elections, Brazil will run the risk of “following the path of other countries” in South America.

“Who would have imagined a few years ago that the very wealthy Venezuela would be as it is today,” the President said, adding that “the destiny of Brazil lies with whoever the citizens decide should lead this great country.”

Bolsonaro lamented the “early electoral debate” in which the country is plunged, reiterated that next year he will be a candidate “or not,” and in a clear reference to the polls that show a sharp drop in his popularity, he said that Brazilians “already know what the movie of the future could be.”

“They saw it for almost 14 years,” he said about the time ruled by the PT, which in 2022 should again have Lula as a candidate.

ECONOMIC ISSUES, BUT NOT BECAUSE OF THE GOVERNMENT

“These were 1,000 days of government” in which the Covid-19 pandemic has been present, and “many believe that inflation,” which may close this year near 10%, is a consequence of “me being President,” he complained.

According to Moody’s Analytics, Chile and Brazil, the two top Latin American countries where state aid programs have been substantial, lead in economic activity, while leftwing Mexico and Argentina lag behind.

Alfredo Coutino from Moody’s says “we see is that there are two groups of countries: in the first are Chile, Brazil and Peru, with GDP levels close to what they had before the pandemic. In the second group are the countries lagging behind, including Mexico and Colombia.” The GDP of Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Argentina combined represents 66% of the region’s total GDP.

Bolsonaro is confident that the country’s economy, which slumped by 4.1% in 2020 due to the pandemic, will grow by nearly 5% this year and assured that it will also grow next year, in the midst of the electoral process.

Much will depend on the impact of the drought, which is hitting Brazil harder than it has in a hundred years. The resulting rise in electricity costs and gasoline prices has led to strong inflation, which must be controlled.

According to Moody’s, Chile, Brazil and Peru will continue to grow this year above their pre-pandemic GDP level, while the other economies, such as Mexico and Colombia, may grow beyond their pre-pandemic level in 2022.