Once again, Brazil has made the front cover of The Economist. Back in 2009, the country was flattered to see the liberal British magazine emblazon its front page with the Christ the Redeemer statue blasting off like a rocket, depicting Brazil’s economic boom. Brazilians were less happy four years later, as the magazine used the same cover, with Christ now flailing and set to fall to earth, asking “Has Brazil blown it?”
The focus of Brazil’s latest Economist cover is far-right presidential frontrunner Jair Bolsonaro, whom the magazine calls “Latin America’s latest menace.” The coverage is evident in its opinion that Mr. Bolsonaro would make a terrible president and, paraphrasing the cover story: if God really is Brazilian, then he must be away on holiday.
Brazil is in desperate need of reform, but Jair Bolsonaro would make a disastrous president. Our cover this week https://t.co/3IGmJT3Sbw pic.twitter.com/sNAzaXRH3n
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) September 20, 2018
The Economist piece discusses Bolsonaro’s antidemocratic leanings, comparing him to Augusto Pinochet, and his “illiberal social views” (including his remark that he would rather his son was dead than be gay, or that he wouldn’t rape a congresswoman colleague because she was “very ugly”). However, looking at policy alone, we can still see the potential for disaster of a Jair Bolsonaro presidency.
Here at The Brazilian Report, we have selected five of Mr. Bolsonaro’s most controversial proposals and consulted experts to find out precisely what effects they would have on the country.
Privatizations
Mr. Bolsonaro’s government program defends the...
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