Bolsonaro drama makes electoral court ceremony event of the season

This week’s inauguration of Justice Alexandre de Moraes as head of Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court was unlike any previous event of its kind. There is no record — at least in recent history — of a judicial swearing-in ceremony that gathered nearly as many major political figures as showed up to the court’s headquarters on Tuesday night.

While the total attendance of around 2,000 is not unheard of, the reputation of the guests present was astounding. 

Beyond the two leading presidential frontrunners for October’s election — President Jair Bolsonaro on stage, challenger Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sat in the front row center — 22 of Brazil’s 27 state governors showed up, as well as three other former presidents, and roughly 50 ambassadors of foreign nations. Magistrates’ associations said the wealth of top-ranking authorities in attendance...