Hold leaders accountable again!

Former U.S. President Donald Trump is a hero to Jair Bolsonaro, who served as president of Brazil between 2019 and 2022. They appear to be so closely connected that, after the end of their respective administrations, both radical right-wing leaders are under scrutiny by their countries’ judicial systems.

In an almost symbiotic way, both Messrs. Trump and Bolsonaro paved their own way towards this, even if they keep blaming a ‘hidden enemy’ (the ‘deep state,’ the left, or even the electoral system). Following a typical far-right political playbook, the two leaders questioned historical facts, promoted false information, and dealt with regular politics with an aggressive agenda — what many call anti-politics. 

The environment created by the two conservative leaders led to mirrored events: in January 2023, thousands of out-of-control Bolsonaro supporters stormed and destroyed public buildings in Brasília.

This regrettable episode echoed something that had already happened under Mr. Trump’s influence: two years earlier, in 2021, a mob of Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol in Washington, directly attacking the heart of the country’s democracy. 

Now, the two former populist right-wingers share legal woes: this week, while Donald Trump became the first former U.S president to face criminal charges, Jair Bolsonaro edged closer to the risk of losing his political rights, as a trial in electoral courts nears a verdict. 

It looks like the clock is ticking for both of them.

• Go deeper: Podcast: Bolsonaro trial nears verdict

• #donaldTrump
• #jairBolsonaro