Much-awaited video exposes gross mismanagement in Bolsonaro government

For an entire week, Brazilians were on the edge of their seats, waiting for the release of footage of an April 22 cabinet meeting. According to former Operation Car Wash judge and ex-Justice Minister Sergio Moro, the video would expose that President Jair Bolsonaro wanted to illegally meddle with the Federal Police. Supreme Court Justice Celso de Mello — who ordered the video be made public — was reportedly “incredulous” with its contents. Now that the video is out, what can we make of it?

The explicit display of Bolsonarism on video is damning, but not necessarily in regard to the investigation into the president. Mr. Bolsonaro’s quotes related to meddling in the Federal Police were already public knowledge, and they will be commented on later. However, there were other segments that did not sit well with defenders of democracy, such as the president lamenting the fact that Brazilians are not armed to their teeth. 

We should warn that much of the language used by President Bolsonaro and the cabinet is explicit, and will not be censored.

“That’s why I want, Justice Minister and Defense Minister, for the people to arm themselves! That’s the guarantee that there won’t be a son of a bitch to impose a dictatorship here! It is easy to impose a dictatorship! Very easy! A piece of shit mayor passes a shitty decree, handcuffs [people who don’t comply with stay-home rules], and leaves everyone at home. If they were armed, they’d be on the street.”

This is not merely another instance of Jair Bolsonaro being Jair Bolsonaro. On May 7, reporter Renato Alves showed that a faction...