Democratic Self-Defense in Brazil in the Era of Bolsonaro

Brazil became the first country in Latin America to elect a far-right president, with Jair Bolsonaro's rise to power signaling a period of democratic erosion. His electoral victory emerged in the midst of multiple crisis, driven by widespread dissatisfaction with the political status quo and the increasing politicization of previously marginalized issues. Bolsonaro's presidency coincided with the critical juncture of the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbating an already polarized climate. In contrast to global responses to the humanitarian and health crisis, his administration aligned with other far-right leaders, such as Donald Trump, in downplaying the pandemic's severity and undermining state actors and institutions dedicated to protect the population. Despite numerous controversies, Bolsonaro maintained a core support base of around 30 percent of the population, largely sustained by a nonpartisan coliation known as the "three Bs" - Beef, Bible and Bullets – which played a pivotal role in his political survival. What strategies did the opposition employ to defend Brazilian democracy amid the continuous and systematic attacks on its actors, institutions, and processes? This manuscript argues that the primary strategy employed by opposition forces was to invoke the 1988 Federal Constitution, which served as a crucial safeguard for defending the democratic principles, norms and rights estalished in the pact that transitioned Brazil from dictatorship to democracy. The paper focuses on the role of three key actors in the Brazilian political system - the legislature, the judiciary, and the bureaucracy - during three critical moments of the Bolsonaro era in Brazilian politics – the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 presidential election, and the 2023 coup attempt. Through this analysis, I highlight that the resilience of Brazilian democracy was rooted not only in its institutional framework but also in the active engagement of key political actors in protecting democratic processes. While Bolsonaro's government eroded democratic standards, the defense of democracy relied heavily on the ability of these actors to uphold the constitutional order. These institutions formed the backbone of Brazil’s democratic self-defense during a critical and challenging period.