Presidential in Brazil: Bolsonaro launches his campaign with an appeal to young people
Outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro launched his campaign for his re-election this Sunday, July 24 in Rio de Janeiro.
AP - Bruna Prado
Text by: RFI Follow
3 mins
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro officially launched his campaign for the October presidential election on Sunday.
He made his speech in the Maracanazinho, the stadium next to the mythical Maracana, in Rio de Janeiro.
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Brazilian jerseys and flags are on display this Sunday at the Maracanazinho gymnasium.
Amid the crowd all dressed in green and yellow, President Jair Bolsonaro's campaign slogan is everywhere.
It can be summed up in three words: freedom, truth and faith.
The candidate has opted for a white shirt under which we guess a bulletproof vest.
Four years ago, a month before the election that brought him to power, Jair Bolsonaro suffered a knife attack that forced him to
campaign from his hospital bed
.
This Sunday, an important security device was deployed, with metal detectors.
It is 11:22 sharp when the outgoing president begins his speech.
Twenty-two is the number of his party, the Liberal Party, the one his supporters will dial to vote for him.
Jair Bolsonaro begins by quoting the Bible.
"
Brazil is a Christian country, a country of values, the country of the present and the future
", launches the president, nicknamed "myth" by his supporters.
Jair Bolsonaro says he prays to God "
so that Brazil never knows the pains of communism
", in a reference to Luis Inácio Lula da Silva whom he accuses, without naming him, of wanting to restrict freedoms if he returns to power in the occasion of the presidential election of October 2 and 30, of which he is the great favourite.
According to the latest Datafolha poll, carried out in June, the founder of the Workers' Party (PT) would win 47% of the vote in the first round, far ahead of the outgoing head of state (28%).
►
To read also: Presidential election in Brazil: "Jair Bolosnaro leaves with a big handicap"
So the president-candidate launches a direct appeal to young Brazilians, most of whom, according to the polls, prefer Lula.
"
We must attract young leftists to our camp, show them the truth,
" he said.
Where your candidate has supported others in South America, look at the misery in these countries, look at Venezuela (...), look where our Argentina is going, with 50% of its inhabitants close to the poverty line
”.
Call to protest
And Jair Bolsonaro to invite his supporters to support him by taking to the streets during the national holiday, as they had already done last year, with in certain demonstrations anti-democratic slogans.
“
I call on you all to take to the streets for the last time on September 7,
” he says in a fiery tone, attacking the Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF) as he is used to.
“
These few deaf people in black coats must understand what the voice of the people is.
»
Having started his speech with biblical words, it is with a collective prayer that Jair Bolsonaro closes it.
"
It was beautiful, moving
," says a lady who came with her daughter to the microphone of our correspondent in Rio de Janeiro,
Sarah Cozzolino
.
“
I saw a lot of old people trying to save this country from falling into the hands of the left.
I saw this love of Jair for Michelle and of her for him
, ”she says again about the wife of the president, idol of the most evangelical fringe of his supporters.
It was during the first lady's speech that Edna felt the tears well up.
“
I come out of there in a state of grace.
Seriously, I feel light-hearted, confident, and I believe more than ever in our Brazil
,” she enthuses.
In front of a stand of flags at the exit, Margot rushed to buy one from Brazil and another bearing the image of Jair Bolsonaro.
"
I'm going to hang them in my windows so that everyone who passes by can see,
" she announces.
That Bolsonaro is the best president that has ever existed.
In the event of her candidate's defeat, Margot has already made her choice: she will leave Brazil.
(
And with
AFP)
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Brazil
Jair Bolsonaro
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva