BY CHRISTINE XIAO ’21

After weeks of anticipation following the initial Brazilian presidential runoffs, which culminated in results below the threshold majority for any candidate, far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro defeated Fernando Haddad to win the Brazilian presidency on Oct. 28. In his victory speech, Bolsonaro called his win a “celebration of freedom: freedom to come and go, walk on the streets, in all places of this country.” He backed up his rhetoric of “freedom being restored” by stating that he would protect citizens who “follow their duties and respect the laws.” The statement seems incongruent with the rest of his behavior, which has leaned towards authoritarianism.