Salvador Around six weeks before the elections, Jair Bolsonaro’s nerves are on edge. In the polls, the Brazilian president is 15 percentage points behind his opponent Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva, the two-time ex-president. With billions in welfare increases, cheap cooking gas and cash transfers to taxi and truck drivers, Bolsonaro has been able to narrow the gap to Lula somewhat in recent days.
But now the former military is threatened with resistance from within its own ranks – and precisely where it feels most secure: on social networks. There, influencers who actually belong to his political camp suddenly begin to critically question the president. Now Bolsonaro has burst his collar for the first time.
During a campaign rally in front of his residence in the capital Brasília, Bolsonaro attacked influencer Wilker Leão, tugging at his t-shirt and trying to take his mobile phone.
Leão had previously provoked him with crude insults such as “bum” or “corruption assistant”. Usually it is Bolsonaro who becomes abusive: in the past he threatened journalists with beatings, verbally abused media representatives or sexually insulted female journalists.
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But the reason for Bolsonaro’s violent reaction is obvious: Leão, who has around 160,000 followers on social networks such as Tiktok, YouTube and Twitter, actually comes from the same political corner as the president. Until recently, he was doing eight years of military service. At the same time, he has been a lawyer since last year and appears on social networks as a representative of the interests of ordinary soldiers.
Bolsonaro becomes violent towards Youtuber
He criticizes Bolsonaro as a traitor who primarily provides the higher military ranks in his government with lucrative posts and who doesn’t care about the fate of ordinary soldiers. Ex-captain Bolsonaro cannot accept that. After all, throughout his political career he presented himself as representing the interests of ordinary police officers and the military.
Bolsonaro spread fake news about his opponents
Bolsonaro’s outburst plays into the hands of his political opponent Lula. Because in Brazil, social media have become crucial for the outcome of elections.
In 2018, Bolsonaro achieved the office of head of state as a political outsider through the mass use of social media. Supporters sponsored illegal campaigns to flood WhatsApp groups with fake news about Bolsonaro’s political opponents.
Bolsonaro’s son Carlos has been directing his family’s social media appearances for years to support the entire clan’s political careers. With their amateurish-looking videos, the Bolsonaros cleverly play with the prejudices against the president. To the film music of the British crook series “Peaky Blinders”, Bolsonaro enters the presidential palace with his squad of confidants like a mafia boss.
The former president’s social media channels are less successful than the Bolsonaros.
(Photo: Reuters)
Lula, on the other hand, is far behind the right-wing populist on social networks. The 76-year-old’s appearance there is helpless at best: on the Tiktok account, which only opened in mid-June, the labor leader, who was convicted of corruption, can be seen petting a puppy. On Instagram, the stories are almost soporific – as if the political manifesto of the Labor Party were being dealt with on film.
Still, Bolsonaro’s dominance on social media is no longer assured. There is a rapid change in mood taking place. So far, most influential influencers in Brazil have been reluctant to take political positions. They fear that they could lose their followers and thus advertising partners.
Lula gains attention
But that is about to change. The supporters of the approximately 500,000 influencers with more than 10,000 followers in Brazil are increasingly demanding that the social media giants position themselves clearly.
Just like Anitta, one of the most popular show stars in Latin America, just did. She is followed by 83 million people on Instagram and Tiktok – as many as Germany has inhabitants. The artist asked her followers to vote for Lula six weeks ago. The right-wing populist opponent Bolsonaro should not govern again because of his hate speech against minorities, the judiciary and culture.
Because of this post by Anitta alone, Lula was briefly able to catch up with Bolsonaro in terms of attention on social networks. Bolsonaro’s tension is hardly surprising.
More: Election campaign in Brazil: Jair Bolsonaro makes Donald Trump.