Categories
CANDIDATES DEMOCRACY ECONOMY ELECTION 2018 SOVEREIGNTY

Ciro Gomes: Brasil’s best chance for a developmentalist left turn?

by Karina Patrício and Thomas Cooper Patriota. The first round of the forthcoming Brazilian presidential election is set to take place on 7 October 2018. This is probably the most unpredictable election since redemocratisation, with 13 different candidates on the ballot – the largest number since 1989, when Brazilians were first allowed to directly elect their president […]

Categories
AUTHORITARIANISM CANDIDATES DEMOCRACY ELECTION 2018 FASCISM FEMINISM

Bolsonaro says he won’t respect electoral defeat

On the eve of the #EleNão protests, as military police raid communist party headquarters across Minas Gerais, neo-fascist candidate Jair Bolsonaro tells reporter he will not respect the election results unless he wins. He is currently trailing PT candidate Fernando Haddad by 6% in the polls for the final round. by Brian Mier Speaking to […]

Categories
AGRARIAN REFORM CANDIDATES ELECTION 2018 POLITICS SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

MST: Brazilian election is a class struggle

“Our weapon is our vote….We need to elect people who are committed to the working class, instead of their own individual interests or mediocre vanity,” says MST leader João Pedro Stedile by Eduardo Miranda The Landless Worker’s Movement (Movimento Sem Terra/MST), is the largest social movement in Latin America, with around 1.6 million members in […]

Categories
CANDIDATES DEMOCRACY ELECTION 2018 LAVA JATO LAWFARE

UN’s Sarah Cleveland on Lula & Brasil’s International Obligations

UN Human Rights Committee Vice President Sarah Cleveland on the recent order for Brasil to respect Lula’s right to run for President, and the repercussions of Brasil’s break with the UN Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. by Brian Mier On the two year anniversary of the coup against […]

Categories
CANDIDATES DEMOCRACY ELECTION 2018 LAVA JATO LAWFARE

Lula Candidacy barred despite UN Ruling/International Uproar

Former São Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad expected to take Lula’s place amidst worries that any leading candidate from the left will be barred on frivolous charges in order to protect US-supported petroleum interests and austerity in Brazil’s post-coup State of Exception. August 31. In a hurried ruling which bypassed legal protocols, the Brazilian Supreme Electoral […]

Categories
CANDIDATES DEMOCRACY ELECTION 2018 MEDIA

45 days before election, TV Globo erases the leading candidate

On Thursday 23 August, TV Globo’s flagship Jornal Nacional news programme ran segments following the campaigns of Presidential Candidates Marina Silva (Rede), Geraldo Alckmin (PSDB), Jair Bolsonaro (PSL), and Ciro Gomes (PDT). It later trailed its invitations to these four Presidential candidates onto the programme next week. Missing was leading candidate Lula da Silva, who is now […]

Categories
AUTHORITARIANISM CANDIDATES DEMOCRACY ECONOMY ELECTION 2018

Savage Capitalism, Repackaged: Itau Bank’s “Partido Novo”

In late 2013  the formation of a new Brazilian Political Party was announced, called literally Partido Novo (New Party). Initially and opportunistically presented as if emerging from the protests that had swept Brasil that June, its libertarian, minimal state messaging was in stark contrast to the demands of those on the streets. These youngsters were depicted as […]

Categories
CANDIDATES DEMOCRACY ELECTION 2018 LAWFARE

On brink of election, judiciary targets Lula VP Haddad

With Lula jailed, his Workers Party vice presidential candidate, and would be substitute, Fernando Haddad is now being bombarded with legal actions from the stronghold of political arch enemies PSDB. In simpler times, São Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad’s flagship policies of implementing an extensive system of cycle lanes and reducing speed limits in the famously […]

Categories
CANDIDATES ELECTION 2018

After Marina confrontation, Bolsonaro abandons TV debates

Following his performance on Band and RedeTV televised Presidential debates, fascist candidate Jair Bolsonaro has decided to abandon participation in the further seven before Brazilians go to the polls on October 7th. If he does participate in one, it will be the exception, his campaign have said. Bolsonaro has so far performed poorly alongside his competitors, and […]

Categories
CANDIDATES ELECTION 2018

Cabo Daciolo And The Quest For URSAL

Irrelevant fringe candidates always deliver the biggest laughs in Brazilian Presidential elections. In 2014 they had Levy Fidelix, in 2018, they have Cabo Daciolo. During the regular televised Presidential debates, which are distributed throughout the main open to air TV networks, one social media user suggested that  “Chato” (Boring) candidates should be prevented by the […]