Brasilia, January 1, 2019. It’s almost 5 pm and thousands of people have already endured hours of brutal January sunshine, with nothing in the way of shade in the capital’s Esplanade of Ministries. In the square that connects Brazil’s presidential palace, Congress, and Supreme Court, an enthusiastic crowd waits, decked in yellow and green, with T-shirts bearing a whole array of right-wing slogans. Brazil’s new president, Jair Bolsonaro, has just arrived at the spot where he is to receive the presidential sash from the departing leader, Michel Temer.
The excitement is palpable, with all faces and mobile phone cameras...
