Time Magazine misses the point on Jair Bolsonaro

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro woke up today to the news that he features among Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2019 list. Parked in the “Leaders” column, he sits alongside his political chums Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Matteo Salvini, the Deputy Prime Minister of Italy.

While it is an achievement and recognition of his prominence, it would perhaps be more of a surprise if Jair Bolsonaro did not make the list. As the leader of the fourth-largest democracy in the world, in his first term, his presence was more or less guaranteed.

Since the annual list began in 2004, Brazilian heads of state have featured several times. Dilma Rousseff, whom Jair Bolsonaro voted to impeach in 2016, figured among the 100 most influential in 2011 and 2012. Her mentor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, featured on the inaugural edition in 2004, before appearing again in 2010, in the final year of his term as president.

Michel Temer was the only Brazilian president not to earn a place on the list. However, he did have the unwelcome honor of featuring on Time’s special on the “5 World Leaders Less Popular than Donald Trump” back in 2017.

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Regardless of the prestige...