Bolsonarist abandons family Christmas tradition to attend anti-democratic camp

Ívina Garcia – From Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – “I was upset, but I kept it to myself”, says Juliana* to see his father Antonio* abandon the tradition of having lunch with his wife and daughter on Christmas Day, December 25, to spend the date in the anti-democratic camp set up in front of the Military Command of the Amazon (CMA), in the West zone of Manaus.

Juliana tells that she and her mother were already preparing to enjoy the family day at her grandmother’s house, when her father informed her that he would not go. “He didn’t even consider it, mum wanted to go, me too, but with this going there [camp], I realized that mum ended up getting kind of discouraged and we stayed at home”, she tells.

Antonio participates in the anti-democratic camp that has occupied the front and pavement of the CMA for 56 days, since the result of the second round of the presidential election, which gave victory to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and marked the defeat of Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

The acts are considered anti-democratic because they call for federal intervention to stop a legitimately constituted government, according to Law No. 14,197, known as the Law of the Democratic State of Law. Demonstrators contest the result of the presidential election and call for the Armed Forces to act to disrupt Lula’s inauguration.

Article 359-L of the provision states that it is a crime to “attempt, with the use of violence or serious threat, to abolish the Democratic State of Law, preventing or restricting the exercise of constitutional powers”, and Article 359-M states that it is punishable to “attempt to depose, by means of violence or serious threat, the legitimately constituted government”.

Supper

On the night of the 24th, the protesters at the act in front of the CMA prepared a Christmas dinner with a table set up at the main gate of the place that is considered the largest military grouping in Latin America.

Meat, rice, noodles, snacks, pies and panettone were divided among the protesters, while still waiting for some attitude from President Bolsonaro, who decided to spend Christmas and New Year’s Eve in a luxury resort in the United States.

Unlike some who are sleeping in the camp, Juliana’s father has never spent the night at the site, but usually arrives home late. “If memory serves me correctly he started going [to the camp] right after the second round. But he never slept, at least in that he prefers the comfort of his bed. There were days when he got home at 1 or 2 in the morning, but he never slept”, she says.

Juliana also says that she has not noticed a change in her father’s behaviour, but that she avoids direct conflict for not agreeing with her father’s political views: “He speaks out even when he finds someone else who gives way to this thought [Bolsonarist]”.

For the young woman, both her father and mother are more anti-Petsonist than Bolsonarist. “He has always been more on that side of the right, but from what I understand not because of Bolsonaro himself, which he said has his criticisms, but because of the anti-Petsonism that is still very strong in him.”

The antipetista movement gained strength from the impeachment of President Dilma Rouseff in 2016, used as a basis for the rise of the far-right in Brazil. With the arrest of Lula, in 2018, and the left weakened in the country, Bolsonaro emerged and reached the presidency.

She says that her mother, even against Lula’s election, never went to the camp. “She never went and from what I understand, she has no interest. To be quite honest, she is already rancid about it, but she also doesn’t argue with him anymore, because she has seen that it’s no use and it only causes stress between the two of them”, she says.

Juliana says she does not know if her father ever spent money on the demonstration, but he bought a stool to use in the camp and always takes snacks from home to feed himself for the long hours that he participates in the movement.

“As a person who thinks positive, I wanted to think that after the 1st day he will get out of there, but lately I tend to imagine that it will only get worse after the inauguration“, says the young woman.

*Juliana and Antônio are fictitious names used in the report to preserve the identity of the interviewee, who preferred not to be identified.