Left Voice

🗣️ 𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐖 ✍️ (from @left_voice and @izquierdadiario) #OpEd Flávio Bolsonaro Is Defeated, but the Fight Against Brazil’s Far Right Continues “All signs pointed to a Lula defeat: no first-round winner had ever lost the runoff, and most of the parties that ran in the first round but not the second were right-wing and likely to give more votes to Flávio. This victory goes far beyond Lula and his electoral and governing coalition known as the Broad Front. In fact, it came despite this “anyone but Bolsonaro” big-tent coalition. The Broad Front preserved many of the anti-worker policies of previous administrations, including those implemented by Jair Bolsonaro. And the coalition maintained a policy of class conciliation towards the Far Right and big business, which helped strengthen the social base of Bolsonarism and contain working-class mobilizations. Lula’s victory on Sunday was instead the result of the massive, youth-led mobilizations that swept the country in the lead-up to the election. With millions standing up to Bolsonarism in the streets and on social media, these were the largest protests since June 2013. These massive mobilizations also forced an important labor reform, known as the end of the six-day work week — the so-called “6×1” schedule. Brazil’s Congress approved the constitutional amendment in mid-October, with the new rules set to take effect in mid-December. Flávio’s defeat comes despite imperialist interference in the elections, particularly from his ally, Donald Trump. The U.S. president used tariffs and threats against embassies and consulates to sway the vote for Flávio. For Trump, a far-right victory in Brazil would have served as a key foothold for his “Donroe Doctrine”: his policy of imperialist subjugation of Latin America as part of the strategic competition with China. Meta also helped tip the scales toward Bolsonaro by restricting the reach of Lula’s campaign. Interference also came from Bolsonarist sectors. On the day of the election, cities with mayors linked to Bolsonaro restricted public transit, forcing the Supreme Court to extend voting by an hour. Even so, many polling places closed early, with military police stationed at voting sites.” 🛠️⬇️ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ⬇️🛠️