Flávio Bolsonaro, who beat President Lula in Sunday's first round and is now the favourite for the runoff, said he intends to capitalise on the increased far-right presence in congress to change the constitution and 're-democratise this country'. Brazil was re-democratised in the 1980s after a 21-year dictatorship that his father, Jair Bolsonaro, has long praised. Jair Bolsonaro, a former soldier who served under that regime, was jailed last year for 27 years for trying to engineer a coup after his 2022 election loss to Lula.
'Re-democratise' is a loaded term in Brazil, where the transition from military rule was a defining national moment. Flávio Bolsonaro doubled down on his rhetoric, claiming at the Goiânia event: 'The only thing standing in the way of Brazil becoming a barbarity is called Flávio Bolsonaro as president.'
The comments have drawn outrage from historians and opponents of Bolsonaro's radical populist movement, who accuse him of co-opting democratic language to disguise an illiberal shift. Fears have grown that a Bolsonaro victory could lead to a move towards authoritarian rule, with some commentators describing his pledge as 'another coup d'état'. The runoff on 25 October will determine whether Brazil swings to the far right or remains with the leftwing Lula.