A survey carried out by political scientist Murilo Medeiros, from the University of Brasília (UnB), shows that 70% of the elections held since 2023 were marked by the rise of public security as a central theme of the campaign.
During the period, 13 of the 19 elections were won by leaders who used combating and restoring order as a priority in the election. In many cases, the survey says, the election turned into a plebiscite on public order.
The researcher did not take into account the situation in Cuba and Nicaragua because the electoral processes were contested in those countries.
One of the most emblematic cases was the victory, this Sunday (21), the far-right lawyer promised a military offensive against drug trafficking and the construction of ten mega-prisons.
He remembers, however, that Nayib Bukele’s reelection in 2024 was what consolidated the zero tolerance narrative as an electoral asset. This year, by promising to build prisons along the lines of the neighboring country.
The proposal is even included in the security plan presented by the presidential candidate (). The text promises to build five new maximum security prisons
The practice became recurrent and was used in campaigns in Bolivia, Ecuador and Honduras, for example.
“With crime at the center of social concern, there is a growing demand for leaders who promise tougher penalties, police strengthening, a direct fight against organized crime and the resumption of state authority in vulnerable areas,” says Medeiros.
He also remembers that security and security have become the hallmarks of elections in Latin America and are themes that dialogue with the perception of State failure. “These are symptoms capable of impacting the October elections in Brazil,” he concluded.
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