“Is someone pushing for a coup d’état?” asks Bolsonaro

A letter signed by academics, business people, and artists, presented yesterday at the University of São Paulo (USP), warns somewhat vaguely of the danger of institutional rupture and calls for the defense of democracy.

The manifesto was not signed by Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party (PL, right) but was a marketing campaign by opposition presidential candidates Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Ciro Gomes, and Simone Tebet, aimed at isolating Bolsonaro politically because Brazil, under the leadership of the conservative President, is proving remarkably resistant economically, at a time when many countries are heading for turmoil.

The head of state assured that he was not involved in any destabilizing plan when he asked, “Charter for democracy, for what?”

“Someone has no respect for democracy?”

“Someone is committing anti-democratic acts? Someone is calling for a coup d’état?” he asked.

The document questioned by Bolsonaro was presented at the USP Law School on Aug. 11, on the 45th anniversary of the publication of a manifesto against the dictatorship that reigned between 1964 and 1985.

The proclamation was read by four lawyers and law school graduates in the historic building in downtown São Paulo, where a visible audience also gathered to chant slogans against the “coup” and repeat the phrase “Bolsonaro out.”

“In the next few days, the electoral campaign begins, in which we should be at the height of democracy, but instead of living a civic party, we are living a moment of immense danger to democratic normality, with insinuations of disrespect for the election results,” the document reads.

The fact that the opposition was able to launch this anti-government campaign so effortlessly in the first place, however, indicates that democracy is in good shape in Brazil under Bolsonaro. The opposition is strong and is free to receive attention and media coverage at home and abroad.

Among the signatories of the democratic proclamation (some speak of 900,000, others of millions) are former presidents Fernando Henrique Cardoso of the Party of Brazilian Social Democracy (PSDB, center) and Michel Temer of the conservative Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB).

Speaking to CNN Brazil on Friday, the President appeared unimpressed with the opposition’s initiatives.

The USP’s letter “is political; they have to attack my government, they are worried about my popularity,” he said during a tour of shantytowns on the outskirts of Brasilia.

There, the President reportedly recorded a commercial to promote an increase in the Auxilio Brasil, which rose from 400 to 600 reais (from US$80 to US$120) in August.

The increase is part of a package of social initiatives, such as the increase in the fuel voucher and a subsidy for truck drivers, that will be in effect from Aug. 1 to Dec. 31.

As part of this package, the President signed a published decree that allows Auxilio Brasil beneficiaries to receive consumer credits of around 2,000 reais (US$400).

Since announcing this “benefits package,” as some media outlets call it, Bolsonaro has received a boost in popularity in the polls.

Last week, the Quaest agency published that Lula da Silva was 41% ahead of Bolsonaro at 34%.

In March, Lula had 45% of the electoral vote compared to 25% for Bolsonaro, according to Quaest. The opposition candidate was considered to have a good chance of being elected in the first round of voting on Oct. 2.

Given Lula’s stagnation and Bolsonaro’s gradual progress, which could improve further in the coming weeks along with the first payments from the increased Auxilio Brasil, the likelihood of an Oct. 30 runoff is rising, according to some columnists.