FAQ's ABOUT JAIR BOLSONARO
Tomorrow afternoon, newly elected Brazilian president JAIR BOLSONARO arrives in Washington DC for a three-day summit. It marks a rare moment between the Western Hemisphere's two largest economies. It's also when of the rare times when the leaders of the US and Brazil are aligned politically. We already know too much about Trump, so let's find out more about Bolosonaro.
His last name doesn't sound very Portuguese. Frank, Turlock. You're correct! The Brazilian president is a second-generation Italian/Brazilian. Jair's grandfather was born in Padua, Italy and was part of the massive migration from Southern Europe to South America around 1910. The Bolozonaro's were middle-class migrants seeking a better life in a new continent with the same climate as home. They decided to change the 'Z' in their last name to a more Portuguese-friendly 'S'. (Just like: Brazil - Brasil.)
He boasts a proud military career. True? Travis, Isle of Man. As a teen, Jair attended a military school. This helped his entry into the prestigious
Agulhas Negras (Black Eagles) Academy, which is the Brazilian equivalent of West Point. Afterwards, he served a Paratrooper in Mato Grosso for ten years. However, it wasn't jumping out of planes that catapulted him into the public eye. Rather, it was a small interview in Veja Magazine. He voiced his anger over the low pay in the military. This gained him national fame...and a jail sentence. He was elected to Congress next year.
Is he racist? Homophobic? Misogynist? Meg, Providence. Yes, yes, and yes. Through social media, he has long expunged deplorable statements about people from Africa, same-sex marriages and inappropriate comments about women's bodies. We also need to add another important issue to the list: The environment. His Brazil-First campaign slogan means Business-First. This sounds like the wrong person to be in charge of the world's largest rainforest!
What about the comparisions to Trump? Klaus, Koblenz. This is why the summit is so blog-worthy. Many feel the Brazilian president is a Trump protégé. Although he served 27 years in Congress, Jair portrays himself as an outsider...just trying to make Brazil great again. His campaign slogan was '
Brazil acima de tudo, Dueus acim de todos.' (Brazil above everything, God above everyone). Both were elected by voters from the religious right. Both Trump and Bolsonaro use social media as their preferred method of communication...as they both hate the press. And they both have gorgeous wives.
How did he react to the recent Sao Paulo shooting? Cindy, Portland. Through Twitter, Jair did the standard
'Thoughts and Prayers' statement. Yet many in Brazil must be scratching their heads these days. They're wondering about the President's go-to gesture: A gun. They're also questioning his plan of loosening gun laws, in the belief that an armed population is the solution. One thing is clear: No other nation on earth is looking for leadership
from either nation when it comes to the problem of gun violence. They are #1 and #2 on the list of per-capita gun deaths.
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