5 things you should know about Republic Day’s chief guest and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro

5 things you should know about Republic Day’s chief guest and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro

Bolsonaro will start his four-day visit to India today, apart from witnessing the Republic Day parade as the Chief Guest, his visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations with India in the fields of agriculture, energy, and defence.

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Friday, January 24, 2020, 02:58 PM IST
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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro |

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who is the chief guest for this year’s republic day celebration has caused a lot of stir in his country and India. The 64-year-old ex-army captain has had the world talking about him with unapologetic and open hatred for women, lgbtqi+ and indigenous communities.

Bolsonaro will start his four-day visit to India today, apart from witnessing the Republic Day parade as the Chief Guest, his visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations with India in the fields of agriculture, energy, and defence.

Here’s all you need to know about the third Brazil president to visit India:

His rise to fame from military to politics

Before Bolsonaro became a part of dinner table conversations, he served in Brazil’s military for seventeen years. Bolsonaro retired as an army captain in 1988 and was elected as a member of the Rio de Janeiro city council in 1989.

Fast-forwarding two years, he won a seat Rio de Janeiro in Brazil's federal Chamber of Deputies. Bolsonaro held onto the post for seven long terms.

During his time as the federal deputy for the lower chamber of Congress, Bolsonaro gained popularity as the far-right politician with sexist, homophobic and racist views.

After Brazil’s tragic economic crisis from 2014 to 2018, Bolsonaro announced himself as a presidential candidate in 2018.

A Proud Conservative

Unsurprisingly, Brazil’s pro-abortion movement has come under threat after this far-right politician came to power. While campaigning, Bolsonaro had stated that if he comes to power, he will stop funding NGOs that practise abortion.

He is also in favour of loosening gun laws to lessen violence in Brazil. He had said that “every honest citizen, man or woman,” should be able to have a gun.

A fan of dictatorship

The former army official believes that it would be justified to again have a dictatorship in Brazil. Bolsonaro has gone on to call the dictatorship in Brazil from the 1960s until the mid-1980s as “glorious.”

According to Bolsonaro, “The dictatorship’s mistake was to torture but not kill,” he told a radio interviewer in 2016, per USA Today.

Was stabbed while campaigning

Before the presidential elections, Bolsonaro was stabbed at a campaign rally in Minas Gerais. According to BBC, the current President of Brazil had lost 40% of his blood due to the wound. Though he was restricted to the hospital after the attack, it didn’t stop him from continuing his campaign. Bolsonaro’s popularity only grew after the attack as he was in contact with his supporters through Facebook.

A Sexist, homophobic and racist politician

The far-right President has openly made homophobic statements and even attacked fellow politicians with sexist remarks. In 2014, when he was still gaining popularity, he had said, “I wouldn’t ever rape you, because you don’t deserve it ... Slut!” to lawmaker Maria do Rosario.

He has also said that he would rather have his son die in a road accident than being gay.

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