Panel SA: Businesspeople defend mobilization against Bolsonaro’s attacks on the polls

Names of the business community that have pointed out risks in Bolsonaro’s repeated speeches against the polls believe that the demonstrations in defense of democracy can help to contain tension and hold the president’s escalation.

“The mobilization of society is more than fundamental. And businessmen, unfortunately divided in the vote, will be suicidal or malicious if they don’t now loudly support democracy and the rule of law”, says Horácio Lafer Piva.

Rosangela Lyra, also a signatory to the manifesto in defense of democracy that is being organized by the USP Law School and by entities and representatives of civil society, says that this year’s election has different contours.​

“People are treating it as if it were another election. This is not an election. It is democracy versus the implantation of an authoritarian regime in Brazil. The Putin of Latin America. Or the Brazilian population chooses democracy, freedom and life in the first round or there will be a coup generating more socio-economic-political instability, where everyone loses”, says Lyra.

For investor Lawrence Pih, Bolsonaro practices populist and authoritarian leadership.

“By inviting ambassadors to attack our voting system, which is considered a world reference in efficiency and reliability, Bolsonaro makes a fool of himself and embarrasses the country. Bolsonaro is convinced that he will lose the elections and is preparing a coup d’état”, says Pih.

This Sunday (24), at the event that made his candidacy official, the president called on his supporters to take to the streets on 7 de Setembro. Last year, Bolsonaro used the holiday stage to make coup statements and attack the court. He later released a note of retreat and said it was “heat of the moment”.

Joana Cunha with Paulo Ricardo Martins and Gilmara Santos