The Hashtag
#Bolsonaro2018 marked far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro’s shocking presidential victory in Brazil, part of the global populist wave alongside Trump and Brexit.
Origins
On October 28, 2018, Bolsonaro won Brazil’s presidency with 55% in the runoff against Workers’ Party candidate Fernando Haddad. The former army captain ran on:
- Anti-corruption (post-Lava Jato scandal)
- Law and order (fighting crime)
- Pro-gun rights
- Anti-LGBT rhetoric
- Nostalgia for military dictatorship
His campaign was dominated by WhatsApp and social media, bypassing traditional media. He’d been stabbed at a rally in September, campaigning largely online thereafter.
Cultural Impact
Bolsonaro was called “Tropical Trump” for his:
- Misogynistic and homophobic statements
- Climate change denial
- Attacks on media as “fake news”
- Praise for torture and dictatorship
- Strong evangelical Christian support
His hashtag represented:
- Rejection of PT (Workers’ Party) after corruption scandals
- Economic frustration and crime concerns
- WhatsApp misinformation’s election influence
- LGBT community’s fear (he’d said he’d rather have a dead son than a gay son)
- Indigenous and environmental activists’ alarm (he opened Amazon to development)
By 2022, after COVID mismanagement killed 680,000+ Brazilians, he lost re-election to Lula. His refusal to accept defeat mirrored Trump’s 2020 playbook.