Omar Encarnación Spoke to the New York Times about Brazil’s Democracy

Omar G. Encarnación, professor of political studies at Bard College, spoke to the New York Times about differences in the governing structures of Brazil and the United States, which have led to different political aftermaths following the actions of the two former presidents, Jair Bolsonaro and Donald Trump. Trump, despite facing state and federal charges, remains a prominent figure on the American Right and is preparing to once again enter the presidential race, while Bolsonaro has faced fiercer blowback and has been blocked from political office for the rest of the decade. Encarnación told the New York Times that Brazil’s democratic system, in spite of grappling with its own issues, can serve as a blueprint for combating new antidemocratic threats. “Democracies basically are fighting misinformation and God knows what else with very antiquated institutions,” he said. “We do need to upgrade the hardware. I don’t think it was designed for people of the likes these countries are facing.”

Post Date: 07-05-2023