Brazil: the “arsonist” Bolsonaro facing the “firefighter” Lula

Reserved for subscribers

DECRYPTION. “Millions of Brazilians no longer have enough to eat. On the eve of the presidential election, Frédéric Louault analyzes the disastrous state of the country.

By Olivier Ubertalli

ifthere is a place in France where the future of Brazil is discussed, after four years of the very controversial mandate of the far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, it is at the Festival of Biarritz Latin America. The country is the guest of honor at this edition, which ends on Sunday October 2, the day of the first round of the Brazilian presidential election. On the occasion of an ultrapolarized electoral battle, the outgoing head of state faces ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, alias “Lula”. The latter has been the favorite in the ballot for months, but the gap between the two candidates has narrowed in recent days.

Today, the state of Brazil, the largest economy in Latin America, where more than 212 million people live, is catastrophic, reminded several experts…