Why did Jair Bolsonaro end his government with high rejection rates? To what extent did the accusations he was repeatedly accused of influence public opinion?
In many of these episodes, there was no proof of guilt or the investigations did not progress conclusively. Still, many people came to consider him guilty. It is worth analyzing how this imaginary was constructed, revisiting some of the main episodes.
The Marielle case
Throughout his government, Bolsonaro was the constant target of accusations on the most diverse subjects. One of the most explored cases was the murder of Marielle Franco. His opponents often insinuated that he could
have some type of participation in the crime. The question “Who ordered Marielle to be killed?” it was repeated like a mantra in debates and demonstrations.
To make the situation worse, a report by Rede Globo, shown on Jornal Nacional, published the testimony of a doorman at the condominium where Bolsonaro owned a house. According to him, Élcio Queiroz, one of the perpetrators of the crime, had requested access to property No. 58, belonging to the then president, on the day of the murder.
I didn’t even know the suspect
Subsequently, the testimony presented inconsistencies, and records indicated that Bolsonaro was in Brasília at that time. The president has always denied any connection with the case and stated that he did not know the suspect.
The investigations did not find elements that linked him to the crime, later attributed to others involved, such as Domingos Brazão, Chiquinho Brazão and Rivaldo Barbosa. Still, his image ended up being
affected by the repetition of accusations.
The Fabrício Queiroz case
In other situations, in an attempt to reach him, the accusations were directed towards one of his children, . This was the case with the exhaustively repeated phrase: “Where is Queiroz?”. The insinuation was that Fabrício Queiroz was being hidden
so as not to reveal possible irregularities related to Flávio Bolsonaro in the so-called rachadinhas case.
In this process, court decisions annulled evidence due to irregularities, which weakened the accusations. Even so, the case went through different phases, keeping the issue in the spotlight for a long period.
The case of jewelry
Another episode of great repercussion was that of Saudi jewelry. Bolsonaro was indicted by the Federal Police for alleged irregularities in the incorporation and attempted sale of gifts received on official trips. The defense
maintains that the items would be for personal use, based on interpretations by the Federal Court of Auditors. The case is still under discussion.
The issue of the Covaxin vaccine also gained prominence. There was suspicion of malfeasance, under the allegation that the president had been alerted about possible irregularities and had not acted. Bolsonaro stated that he sent
the case to the competent authorities. The Federal Police concluded that there were not enough elements to characterize the crime, and the case was closed at the request of the Attorney General’s Office.
Not even the whale escaped
There were also episodes that bordered on the unusual. In one of them, Bolsonaro was accused of harassing a humpback whale while riding a jet ski off the coast of São Sebastião. The case gained repercussion, was investigated, but ended up being closed due to a lack of elements that could constitute a crime. Still, it served to fuel an environment of permanent suspicion.
It is not difficult to see the cumulative effect of this process. More than each isolated episode, it was the constant repetition of the accusations that contributed to the formation of a negative image.
Now it’s Flávio
Now, the one who takes over the spotlight is his son Flávio Bolsonaro. As it gains ground in research, questions also increase. It remains to be seen whether it will have the same capacity to withstand this type of exposure.
Whether you are the politician of the situation or the opposition, it doesn’t matter. If you commit a crime, you must pay for the mistakes you made. What needs to be combated is the creation of fanciful narratives just to damage reputations and
compromise the opponent’s campaign. This is no longer politics. It’s something else. And it will hardly be through this path that the country will find the solutions it needs. Follow on Instagram: @polito
*This text does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Jovem Pan.
