Beef, Bible and Bullets: Brazil in the Age of Bolsonaro

Beef, Bible and Bullets: Brazil in the Age of Bolsonaro by Richard Lapper

Bolsonaro was a Brazilian version of Trump. He was adamantly not politically correct. During the campaign, he was the victim of a failed assassination attempt. He gradually lost popularity during his term in office and was criticized for his handling of COVID-19. He was eventually defeated by Lula, a former left wing president who had been convicted of fraud. (The conviction was later overturned and he was allowed to run again.) The bulk of the book covers the background of brazil leading up to the election. Brazil has significant crime. The criminal gangs have active operations within prisons. (and seem more effective than the government in punishing evildoers.) Police play a significant role in society and hold many elected positions. In spite of this, many neighborhoods have vigilantes which also fight crime. (Alas, these can be just as bad as the criminals.) The court system is slow and delayed through multiple appeals. Things seemed to be going well with oil reserves, but the country was not able to benefit. There is a ton of potential, but few results. Big events such as the World Cup and Olympics brought tourists, but also cost huge amounts of money. Meanwhile, there are significant swaths of poverty. Most of the book covers the past and current history and politics of Brazil. This all provides an understanding of how Bolsonaro came to power.