Bolsonarismo: The Global Origins and Future of Brazil’s Far Right

Bolsonarismo: The Global Origins and Future of Brazil’s Far Right documents the rise of the far-right alliance that emerged in Brazil in 2020 around the figure of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Unlike a cohesive organization with uniform practices, Bolsonarismo is marked by fragmentation and a broad variety of ideologies. Fernando Brancoli delves deeply into how Bolsonarismo has developed a specific political orientation through its partnerships with other groups, practices, and subjectivities within Brazil, as well as internationally.

Through interviews, archival research, and newly available public documents, this book presents a comprehensive and compelling portrait of the neo-evangelical pastors, military personnel, and meritocratic ideologues who are the actors behind the far-right movement. Adding to our understanding of Bolsonarismo’s growth in Brazilian politics and the contributing factors behind it, the book also sheds light on the impact of Bolsonarismo on world politics. As a prominent leader of the far-right movement, Jair Bolsonaro’s political views and policies have reverberated beyond Brazil’s borders, influencing the discourse on issues such as climate change, democracy, and human rights around the world.

FERNANDO BRANCOLI is associate professor of international security at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is a fellow at the School of Social Science (SPSS) at the University of Princeton, and an associated researcher at the Orfalea Center for Global & International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His recent books include The Tropical Silk Road: The Future of China in South America (with Paul Amar and Lisa Rofel), Private Security Companies in the Global South (UFRJ, 2021), and Arab Spring: Squares, Streets, and Revolts.