Maltese Missionary In Brazil Warns Of ‘Climate Of Fear’ Since New President’s Election
A Maltese missionary who has long been stationed in Brazil has warned a “climate of fear” has gripped the nation since the recent election of Jair Bolsonaro as President.
“The election campaign was really tense and scary and there’s a climate of fear here now,” Fr Ġwann Xerri told Newsbook. “[Bolsonaro] didn’t have a clear electoral programme so no one knows what’s going to happen now. One day he’d say he wants to privatise everything, then the next day he’d retract his statement and say his critics should be thrown in prison or leave the country.”
Bolsonaro won 55.2% of the Brazilian vote with his pledge to clamp down on crime and corruption, but critics are worried about his comments on women, race and homosexuality, his threat to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement and his praise of Brazil’s former dictatorship.
Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters celebrate his victory
Fr Ġwann Xerri described the campaign as one packed with insults towards racial minorities and women, as well as fake news perpetuated through WhatsApp threads.
“These WhatsApp threads created bubbles,” he said. “Everyone is in their own group but no one listens to what others are saying. The concept of freedom of expression was born out of the rights of minorities to defend themselves but it is now being applied by chauvinists and homophobes as an excuse to air those views.”
Are you Brazilian or live in Brazil? What do you make of Jair Bolsonaro’s election?
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