Political polarization helps Brazilian far-right groups make a quick buck

After mapping political polarization online, researchers Pablo Ortellado and Márcio Moretto Ribeiro stated that right-wing and left-wing people seem to exist in “wholly different universes” on the internet. In a phenomenon which is not exclusive to Brazil, social media has become a battleground and political differences have evolved into aggressive polarization. Within this strained political environment, there are a few groups looking to make an easy buck.

If it has now become cliché among leftist militants to wear t-shirts emblazoned with the faces of Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, or other communist symbols, right-wing Brazilians are also starting to display their political beliefs on their clothing, and online far-right merchandise retailers are thriving in Brazil’s rising tide of conservatism. These stores began to emerge in 2014, a year in which Brazil witnessed its ugliest and most aggressive presidential campaign to date.

The stories behind those e-commerce “conservative clothing” spots are familiar. Most got the idea when looking for – and not finding – merchandise for their own use. “We made Bolsonaro-themed t-shirts to wear at rallies, and people wanted to buy them from us,” said the owner of one such shop in January.

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