On October 18, supporters of Brazilian presidential candidate Senator Flávio Bolsonaro paraded down Paulista Avenue in São Paulo, clutching an inflatable toy missile bearing a simple, shocking plea: “TRUMP NUKE BRAZIL”.

The son of the convicted far-right former president, for his part, was busy on the Paulista, perched on top of a float, dancing with a blonde woman in a bikini — or so it seemed.

When sharing footage from the rally to social media, Bolsonaro’s campaign had used AI to doctor the video, transforming a male supporter into a young woman complete with her own fake Instagram account.

Taken together, these events reveal how, from the streets to the halls of power, the far-right is mobilising at home and across the hemisphere to explode Latin America’s largest democracy, to surrender its sovereignty, and — in the words of Flávio’s brother Eduardo — set fire to the entire Amazon rainforest.

While the Brazilian far-right fosters ever-deeper ties with reactionary forces in the United States, Bolsonaro’s campaign itsel has enlisted the backing of American tech companies to propel him to the presidency. On 16 October, 24 hours after the constitutional amendment passed, news broke that the Bolsonaro campaign had paid R$ 600,000 to a US tech company to manipulate the Brazilian elections. The cybersecurity company Elytron was contracted to spread misinformation, create fake social media accounts, and discredit opponents.

This revelation followed confirmation that Meta — which 30 million Brazilian adults consider their primary news source — had once again barred President Lula from sponsoring content on its social media platforms. Bolsonaro’s account, meanwhile, remained uninhibited. The transparency of the company’s bias was such that even its own oversight board is “concerned by recurring enforcement failures”.

This interference reportedly followed an August meeting between Meta officials and Bolsonaristas in the United States. After this encounter, Fernando Cerimedo, a political strategist and close ally of Flavio, boasted that he could “get any page taken down or put back up” on the company’s platforms.

Mark Zuckerberg’s allies in the Trump administration have been working for a Bolsonaro victory, too. Earlier this year, the Rockbridge Network – which was co-founded by Vice President Vance in 2019 – began to establish operations in Brazil. Described as a “political venture capital firm”, the outfit brought together right-wing donors to quietly fund polling and voter mobilisation. Reported backers include Palantir’s Peter Thiel and Breitbart owner Rebekah Mercer.

In Brazil, the network’s leaked business plan seeks to promote reactionary ideas across the press, universities, and the legislature. Another document addressed to Flavio Bolsonaro proposed creating a council of foreign business leaders to advise the Presidential candidate, attract investment and serve as a “useful campaign tool”. Rockbridge’s Brazilian branch was registered by Chris Applegate – the man in charge of Vance’s relationship with donors. But Bolsonaro himself boasts a close relationship with Trump, too.

⁠In May, the President hosted the Senator and his brother Eduardo – for whom the Brazilian Supreme Court recently issued an arrest warrant – in the Oval Office. Two days later, the USA designated Brazil's two biggest criminal gangs as foreign terrorist organisations, a move the Lula government warns could open the door to foreign military action on Brazilian soil.

While Bolsonaro supporters brandish inflatable bombs and plead with the White House to strike the country, their Presidential candidate boasts a direct line to the Oval Office. That’s why President Lula has argued that Sunday’s election represents a choice: Sovereignty or submission.

On 18 October, over a million people took to Brazil’s streets to defend their democracy and the social gains of recent years. The Brazilian unemployment rate is at record lows while the incomes of working-class Brazilians have risen by 20% since Lula returned to office in 2022.

Earlier this month, the government celebrated another historic victory for workers as Brazil's Congress established the 5-day working week, giving employees two days off without cutting their salary. This change represents the most radical overhaul to labour rights since the country’s return to democracy in 1988. "It means more time to live, rest, be with family, watch your children grow up, look after yourself and enjoy life,” proclaimed President Lula.

These strides forward are all on the ballot this Sunday. Bolsonaro has already promised to slash taxes for the wealthy and cut public spending by 1.5% of GDP. Economists estimate this measure alone would wipe out 2.7% of Brazil’s GDP in the first year and 3.2% over two years.

This threat sparked São Paulo’s largest demonstration since the final days of the military dictatorship as trade unions, social movements and progressive forces occupied 12 blocks of Paulista Avenue. Large rallies were held simultaneously in 76 cities nationwide.

As polling day draws near, Lula has continued to illustrate the potential of a radically transformative social agenda. The President plans to make public transport free on weekends nationwide so that people can make the most of their newly won 5-day week. This vision of working-class emancipation could not be further from the coup against Brazilian democracy plotted by Flavio Bolsonaro and his allies.

As we write, the Progressive International Observatory is en route to Brazil. From the ground, our delegation of former ministers and policy-makers will safeguard against this effort to crush Brazil’s sovereignty. Stay tuned.

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14 October 1963 - Yemen’s liberation

South Yemen's Marxist National Liberation Front (NLF) launched its liberation struggle against British colonialism on 14 October 1963.

Learn more about this history with this beautifully designed Instagram carousel.

15 October 1987 - Sankara assassination

15 October 1987, Thomas Sankara, the president of Burkina Faso, was murdered in a foreign-backed coup d’etat.

Celebrate Thomas Sankara with this clip of a speech on imperialism.

20 October 1952 - Mau Mau Rebellion

On 20 October 1952, the British colonial government in Kenya declared a state of emergency in response to the Mau Mau uprising.

Art of the Week

Rivane Neuenschwander is a Brazilian artist who seeks to expand collective consciousness, interested in the (mis)use of language within the political imaginary. For over 30 years, Neuenschwander has drawn on the rich history of Brazilian art movements. Since 2010, her works have been “more closely linked to politics, sexuality, and subjectivity,” saying in 2020 that the then government “relishes violence, ignorance, and hate.”

In 2021, Neuenschwander staged a performance protest in São Paulo titled Reviravolta de Gaia (Gaia's Overturn) in collaboration with Mariana Lacerda, as part of a larger demonstration against Jair Bolsonaro, drawing attention to how “humans and nonhumans have always co-evolved, co-existed and collaborated”. Hidra Capitalista, of the same year, was inspired by a painting created by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) at the 2016 CompArte Festival in Chiapas, Mexico. The artwork depicts Hidra, a mythological serpent with nine heads that regenerate when cut off, to symbolise political resilience.