Former Bolsonaro allies turn ‘anti-fascist’ as government opposition grows

Brazil’s political crisis seems to be intensifying at about the same rate as the country’s Covid-19 cases. Attacks on the country’s institutions from President Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters appear to be occurring on a daily basis. And while the president’s support base seems to have held up so far, a number of new opposition forces are emerging.

This week, for instance, a new campaign dubbed “We are the 70 Percent” emerged, launched by “We’re In This Together” movement backed by major political figures across the political spectrum — such as former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Rio de Janeiro congressman Marcelo Freixo, São Paulo congressman Alexandre Frota and TV personality Luciano Huck — calling for the defense of Brazil’s democratic institutions. 

The new anti-fascists

Mr. Bolsonaro has turned many a former ally into an ardent foe. At first, São Paulo Governor João Doria and his Rio de Janeiro counterpart Wilson Witzel both rode the Bolsonaro wave to victory in the 2018 elections. Mr. Doria veered as far into pathetic opportunism, calling on voters to support a ‘Bolsodoria’ ticket; Mr. Witzel, if anything, took Mr. Bolsonaro’s vision of change through the barrel of a gun to new extremes, parading around with police during armed operations in favelas, and telling law enforcement to shoot drug dealers “in their little heads.”

Now, less than two years after Mr. Bolsonaro was elected, the pair have become two of his most...