Brazil: from France to Chile, the far right distances itself from Bolsonaro’s assault, but attacks the left

The leaders of the European far-right came out this Monday, in various styles and shades, to distance themselves from Sunday’s coup attack by followers of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, although in several cases they put more emphasis on criticism their local or regional political opponents rather than repel the invasion.

The Spanish formation Vox, through its spokesperson, Jorge Buxadé, expressed his condemnation of the violence in Brazil, but at the same time denounced the “double standards” of the leftwhich he accused of keeping silent about similar events in Chile or Colombia, and denounced the repeal of the crime of sedition in Spain.

“We condemn the violence, all the violence exercised against democratic institutions. But all the violence unlike the European and especially the Spanish left,” Buxadé said at a press conference when asked about the assault on Brazilian institutions.

None of Vox’s official accounts had previously expressed their opinion on the assault carried out by Bolsonaro’s followers and neither did their leader, Santiago Abascal.

“People’s Anger Will Rise Again”

MEP Hermann Tertsch anticipated that the the “anger of the Brazilian people” will “reemerge” against President Lula da Silva’s threats of “repression”.

The National Association (RN), the great party of the French far rightFor his part, he condemned the attack against the main institutions of power in Brasilia, underlining that it constitutes a symptom “of an unhealthy democracy“, with polarized blocks that are considered enemies.

“Here is the result of an unhealthy democracy in which there are two camps that do not consider themselves political adversaries, but enemies“said the new president of the National Association, Jordan Bardella, in an interview with the BFMTV channel.

“You have to accept the results”

The successor to the leadership of Marine Le Pen’s formation said that the images of the invasion of the palaces of the Presidency, Congress and the Supreme Court by Bolsonaro’s followers “they make your hair stand on end”.

Bardella insisted that “when you stand for election, you have to accept the results“.

Portuguese André Ventura, leader of the Chega! party, expressed his “understanding” for the “pain” of those who “suddenly” They are ruled “by an ex-resident bandit”alluding to how Bolsonaro referred to Lula, but specifying that even so “democracy has its rules and it is in the democratic arena that one must fight, not with violence!”, he proclaimed.

Much more emphatic was the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, who described “Unacceptable and incompatible with all forms of democratic dissidence” the invasion of the main institutional headquarters by Bolsonaro’s followers.

“It is urgent that there is a return to normality and we express solidarity with the Brazilian institutions,” said the leader of the Italian far-right.

Former Chilean presidential candidate José Antonio Kast, from the ultra-conservative Republican party, also rejected the Bolsonarists’ attack, but took advantage of the request to criticize the president of his country, Gabriel Boriccomparing what happened with the “social outbreak” in Chile in October 2019.

“Political violence is always unacceptable. Unlike others, we condemn the violence that is taking place in Brazil and in any country where democratic institutions are not respected. The Brazilian people have the legitimate right to protest, but without violence,” he claimed on Twitter. account.

Miley, Argentina

In Argentina the deputy of the far-right formation “La Libertad Avanza” Javier Milei did not explicitly condemn the coup attempt in Brazil and was limited to a statement by the Madrid Forum, which brings together right-wing leaders, including Trump and Bolsonaro.

“If leftist leaders want to defend democracy in Brazil, they must condemn the dictatorships of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela,” said that organization.

Agencies