Folha’s Monica Bergamo reports that, following the victory of Gustavo Petro, President Jair Bolsonaro despatched a message on a non-public WhatsApp group during which he despaired on the consequence.
Left-wing candidate Gustavo Petro was elected president on Sunday with 40.32% of the vote. It’s the first time the left has received an election in Colombia’s historical past, and his Vice President Francia Marquez is first Afro-Colombian to carry the place.
Bolsonaro despatched a message to a restricted group of BBC Information Brazil with the title “Ex-guerrilla wins election in Colombia and would be the nation’s first leftist president”.
Accompanying the photograph, beleaguered far-right president Bolsonaro wrote: “Cuba…Venezuela…Argentina…Chile…Colombia…Brazil???”, referring to the October election, during which he trails left-wing former President Lula by around 20% in opinion polls.
Though Bolsonaro didn’t but react publicly, his principal advisor on worldwide affairs, Filipe G. Martins, a former US Embassy and Electoral Courtroom worker who’s credited with introducing the Bolsonaros to Steve Bannon, posted on social media, showing to share the president’s panic on the Colombian election consequence:
“Confronted with the advance of the acute left in Latin America, with successive victories of candidates from Foro de São Paulo, our accountability as Brazilians turns into even better.”
“Could God have mercy on us and provides us situations to guard our nation and our individuals!” the ex-US State Division worker continued.
Colombia, together with Bolsonaro’s Brazil, was america’ principal ally in South America, and a clear sweep for the left is now a chance. Already in energy in Argentina, progressive candidates have lately received elections in Bolivia, Peru and Chile. Brazil is subsequent.
After a wave of US-backed victories and coups on the continent since 2015, solely Ecuador, Uruguay and Paraguay nonetheless have proper or centre-right governance.
Bergamo notes that “Petro’s victory had one other symbolism: it was acknowledged by his principal opponent, Rodolfo Hernández, lower than an hour after the outcomes have been printed.”. That is in reference to Bolsonaro’s threats to not settle for the consequence if he loses in October.
On the Summit of the Americas in early June, Bolsonaro reportedly asked US president Biden for help in defeating Lula, on account that the previous president is a “menace to US pursuits”.
At a current marketing campaign rallies Lula has dismissed Bolsonaro’s reported coup plot as doomed to fail.
