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Brazilan President Jair Bolsonaro is India’s Republic Day ceremony guest of honour this year. Some of his comments make us wonder if he deserves the honour.
“She’s not my type. I would never rape her. I’m not a rapist. But if I were, I wouldn’t rape her because she doesn’t deserve it,” said Brazil’s current President in 2014.
Jair Bolsonaro expressed these views on fellow lawmaker in Congress, claiming she was so ugly, she wouldn’t even be raped. Though this was said in 2014, it is extremely relevant even today. Among other reasons, because he is the Guest Of Honour at India’s 71st Republic Day ceremony being held on 26th January.
Bolsonaro, for his actions and comments is not just the President of Brazil. In fact, he has often be termed as the far-right extremist, homophobic, racist, anti-indigenous people, misogynist President of Brazil.
Here are some comments he made that show what a shame it is for us to honour someone like him on the day that celebrates the birth of our Constitution.
“I’m not going to rape you because you’re very ugly”
In 2014 when he was a Congressman, Bolsonaro told opposition’s Maria do Rosario, “I wouldn’t rape you because you’re not worthy of it. Stay here and listen.”
He was speaking inside the national legislature. And responded to Rosario’s attack on the human rights violations that took place during the US-backed military dictatorship in Brazil from 1964 to 1985 including torture and rape.
He later repeated the comments to a newspaper, adding that he would not rape Rosario because she was “ugly.”
“I had four sons, but then I had a moment of weakness, and the fifth was a girl.”
During a speech in 2017, he declared, “I have five children. Four are men, and then in a moment of weakness the fifth came out a girl.”
“I’d rather have my son die in a car accident than have him show up dating some guy.”
Bolsonaro is not just misogynistic but also homophobic. In 2011, Bolsonaro commented that he would be “incapable of loving a homosexual son.” He further added that “I would prefer my son to die in an accident than show up with a moustachioed man.”
In 2002, the current Brazilian President said, “I won’t fight against it nor discriminate, but if I see two men kissing each other on the street, I’ll beat them up.” This statement was a political stunt made after then Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso came out in support of gay rights and marriage.
If this sounds old then just last year in April (2019), Bolsonaro was a suspect in raising fears of violence against the LGBTQ community. This was especially suspected after he commented that the South American nation should become a “gay tourism paradise.”
“I’m pro-torture, and the people are too.”
The President is very famous for inflicting torture on minorities, women and queer people. In 1999 in support of state-sponsored torture on weaker communities he said “I am in favour of torture, you know that. And the people are in favour as well.”
He repeated his mentality in 2014 when activists in Brazil were raising voices against state-sponsored violence, especially in prisons. Bolsonaro declared, “Brazilian prisons are wonderful places…they are places for people to pay for their sins, not live the life of Reilly in a spa.”
“They don’t do anything. I don’t think they’re even good for procreation any more”
Quilombos are native Brazilian settlements run by quilombolas. This community consists of people who are descendants of rebel slaves from colonial Brazil.
In a 2017 interview, this is how Bolsonaro described the people after visiting them “I visited a quilombo and the least heavy afro-descendant weighed seven arrobas (approximately 104 kg). They do nothing! They are not even good for procreation.”
“Women should not get the same salary as men”
In 2016, Bolsonaro proved his misogyny once again. This time, in a TV interview, he said that it was unfair for women to get the same salaries as men since they got “more labour rights” like maternity leave. He said that he wouldn’t employ a woman “with the same salary as a man.”
Apart from this Bolsonaro has also made comments about refugees by calling them ‘scum of the earth’. He is also considered responsible for the Amazon fires in 2019 which resulted in 278% deforestation in July.
The Brazilian President has been saying misogynistic, homophobic and in general scary things for a decade now. Yet he is the chief guest for the day when India’s constitution was formulated.
If that’s not hard to digest, I don’t know what is.
I read, I write, I dream and search for the silver lining in my life. Being a student of mass communication with literature and political science I love writing about things that bother me. Follow read more...
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