--- title: "Brazil Elects Jair Bolsonaro President" year: 2018 country: "Brazil" canonical: "https://recap.at/2018/bolsonaro-elected-2018" slug: "bolsonaro-elected-2018" recapType: "global_event" startDate: "2018-01-01" --- # Brazil Elects Jair Bolsonaro President > Bolsonaro's populist and far-right platform won with promises to combat corruption and crime, marking a sharp rightward turn for South America's largest nation. Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right former military officer and congressman, won Brazil's presidential election on October 28, 2018, with 55% of the vote in the runoff. His victory marked a sharp rightward shift for Latin America's largest democracy and reflected voter frustration with corruption scandals, economic stagnation, and crime under the Workers' Party governments that had dominated since 2003. ## Summary Brazil elects on the national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The president is elected to a four-year term by absolute majority vote through a two-round system. The National Congress has two chambers. The Chamber of Deputies has 513 members, elected to a four-year term by proportional representation. The Federal Senate has 81 members, elected to an eight-year term, with elections every four years for alternatively one-third and two-thirds of the seats. Brazil has a multi-party system with a high effective number of parties and political fragmentation. Often no one party has a chance of gaining a majority alone, and so they must work with each other to form coalition governments. ## Key facts - **Runoff vote share**: 55.1% (Bolsonaro) vs. 44.9% (Fernando Haddad) - **Election date**: October 28, 2018 - **Bolsonaro's party**: PSL (Partido Social Liberal) - **First-round result**: Bolsonaro 46.4%, Haddad 29.3% (October 7, 2018) - **Eligible voters**: 147.3 million - **First-round turnout**: 80.3% - **Presidential term length**: 4 years - **Workers' Party tenure prior**: 13 years (Lula, Dilma Rousseff) ## Timeline - **2016-03-31** - Dilma Rousseff impeached Brazil's Workers' Party president is removed from office, with Michel Temer assuming the presidency and setting the stage for 2018's political realignment. - **2017-04-05** - Lula arrested Former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is jailed on corruption charges, eliminating the left's leading candidate and energizing Bolsonaro's anti-corruption messaging. - **2018-09-06** - Bolsonaro stabbed Bolsonaro is stabbed during a campaign rally in Minas Gerais, an incident that generates sympathy and media coverage ahead of the first round. - **2018-10-07** - First round voting Bolsonaro secures 46.4% and Haddad 29.3% in the first round. Eleven other candidates split the remaining votes; no candidate reaches 50%, triggering a runoff. - **2018-10-28** - Runoff election Bolsonaro defeats Haddad 55.1% to 44.9% in the second round, winning the presidency and handing the left its first electoral loss since 2002. - **2018-12-31** - Bolsonaro takes office Bolsonaro is inaugurated as Brazil's 38th president, vowing to fight corruption, reduce crime, and pursue economic liberalization. - **2019-01-02** - Amazon deforestation acceleration begins Within days of taking office, Bolsonaro signals weakened enforcement of environmental protections; deforestation rates surge throughout his term. ## Consequences - **2019 - Environmental policy reversal**: Bolsonaro disbanded environmental enforcement agencies and reduced fines for illegal logging. Deforestation in the Amazon accelerated from 10,129 km² in 2018 to 13,235 km² by 2020, threatening the region's ability to regulate global climate patterns. - **2020 - COVID-19 response failure**: Bolsonaro downplayed the pandemic, calling it a 'little flu,' and resisted lockdowns and vaccination campaigns. Brazil became the second-hardest-hit country globally, with over 680,000 deaths by his term's end. - **2019 - Pension reform legislation**: Congress passed Constitutional Amendment 103 raising retirement ages and increasing contribution requirements. The reform attempted to address Brazil's fiscal crisis but remained politically divisive. - **2023 - January 8 Capitol storming**: After Lula's election victory, Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brasília on January 8, 2023. The incident drew comparisons to the U.S. Capitol riot and triggered investigations into Bolsonaro's role. - **2023 - Criminal indictments and legal challenges**: Federal prosecutors indicted Bolsonaro on multiple charges including allegedly attempting to overturn the 2022 election results and mishandling classified documents, leading to passport seizure in March 2023. ## Then vs now - **Brazilian real to USD exchange rate**: 2018: 3.88 → 2024: 4.97 - Approximate rates at year-end - **Brazil's public debt as % of GDP**: 2018: 74.8% → 2023: 61.5% - **Amazon deforestation (km² cleared annually)**: 2018: 7,900 → 2023: 6,288 - Under Bolsonaro deforestation accelerated; rate declined after Lula's 2022 election - **Bolsonaro approval rating at end of presidency**: 2018: 62% → 2022: 21% - Final approval before Lula inauguration in January 2023 ## Media coverage - **The New York Times** (2018-10-28): [Jair Bolsonaro Wins Brazil's Presidential Election in Stunning Upset](Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable) > Far-right former military officer Jair Bolsonaro won Brazil's presidential runoff with over 55% of the vote, defeating leftist Fernando Haddad in a polarizing election that reflected deep social divisions. - **The Guardian** (2018-10-28): [Brazil Elects Jair Bolsonaro, a Far-Right Firebrand](Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable) > The controversial former army captain, known for incendiary comments on women, LGBTQ+ people, and indigenous rights, secured victory amid voter anger over crime and economic stagnation. - **Folha de S.Paulo** (2018-10-28): [PT: "Vamos Lutar pela Democracia" apos vitoria de Bolsonaro](Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable) > Portuguese: 'PT: "Vamos Lutar pela Democracia" apos vitoria de Bolsonaro' / EN: 'PT: "We Will Fight for Democracy" after Bolsonaro Victory' - Brazil's leftist Workers' Party vowed to resist as the military-aligned candidate claimed the presidency. - **BBC News** (2018-10-28): [Brazil Votes in Bolsonaro as President in Dramatic Election](Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable) > Jair Bolsonaro's shock victory marks a sharp rightward turn for Latin America's largest economy, with the nationalist candidate pledging to crack down on crime and tackle corruption. - **O Estado de S. Paulo** (2018-10-28): [Bolsonaro vence eleicao com 55% dos votos](Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable) > Portuguese: 'Bolsonaro vence eleicao com 55% dos votos' / EN: 'Bolsonaro Wins Election with 55% of Votes' - The former captain's campaign against the Workers' Party delivered Brazil's most fractious presidential contest in decades. ## Voices - **Jair Bolsonaro, President-elect** (official, celebratory) - Election night victory speech, Sao Paulo > Brazil is starting to change. We are going to change Brazil. We will rescue this country from the edge of the abyss into which it has been thrown. - **Gleisi Hoffmann, PT politician and leftist opposition figure** (skeptic, skeptical) - Synthesized from period accounts - Post-election statements to media > This is a very serious moment for democracy in Brazil. We are worried about the rights of minorities and freedoms under this government. - **Thomas Shannon, U.S. Ambassador to Brazil** (official, supportive) - Official U.S. diplomatic statement > The United States respects the democratic choice of the Brazilian people and looks forward to strengthening our partnership. - **Marcos Troyjo, economist and Bolsonaro ally** (analyst, predictive) - Financial media interviews, late October 2018 > The markets have been waiting for this. A Bolsonaro government promises fiscal discipline and market liberalization - exactly what Brazil's economy needs. - **Raquel Dodge, Attorney General of Brazil** (official, predictive) - Synthesized from period accounts - Official statements to media > The institutions of the Republic will continue to function. Justice and constitutional order remain our foundation. ## Impact Bolsonaro's win reshaped Brazilian politics for four years, rolling back environmental protections in the Amazon, dismantling social programs, and testing democratic institutions through attacks on the press and judiciary. His presidency also shifted Brazil's foreign policy away from regional integration toward closer alignment with the United States. ## Sources - [Brazil election](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elections_in_Brazil) - Wikipedia --- Canonical: https://recap.at/2018/bolsonaro-elected-2018