Brazil Election: Who is Jair Bolsonaro?

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Europe

02:48

With an affinity for the American president, the Brazilian ex-army captain has been nicknamed the 'Tropical Trump'. CGTN's Lucrecia Franco reports.

His supporters say Jair Bolsonaro is the man that can sweep away political corruption and rescue Brazil from its many troubles, especially what they claim is their biggest enemy: the leftist Workers' Party, which has won the past four presidential elections.

VERA CASTROBOLSONARO SUPPORTER "I would like Bolsonaro to be our president because I don't want Brazil to become like Cuba or become Venezuela."

His detractors, people that have sided with the Workers' Party in one of the most polarized elections in Brazilian history, say they will not go down without a fight.

CRISTINA CAMPOS ANTI-BOLSONARO PROTESTER "We are starting a movement of real opposition."

Bolsonaro, a 63-year-old ex-army captain turned politician, has been a congressman since the early 1990's. He now represents the Social Liberal Party, but he may be best known for his comments many consider sexist, homophobic and racist and his open support for U.S. President Donald Trump.

JAIR BOLSONARO BRAZIL'S PRESIDENT-ELECT "I am an admirer of President Trump. He wants a great United States. I want a great Brazil."

Despite being dubbed the Trump of the Tropics, Bolsonaro is not a real estate tycoon but rather a politician with strong ties to the military. He has repeatedly expressed nostalgia for Brazil's dictatorship which ended more than 30 years ago.

Carlos Fico, a historian and political analyst, says that, unlike Argentina, Brazil's repression during the military regime was well hidden.

CARLOS FICO, HISTORIAN AND POLITICAL ANALYST FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF RIO DE JANEIRO "This association of a military figure to a man capable of confronting security issues and corruption that are perceived to be Brazil's biggest problems, might explain Bolsonaro's prominence."

LUCRECIA FRANCORIO DE JANEIRO "Bolsonaro may not be the ideal candidate for many Brazilians but with anti-leftist Workers' Party sentiment running so high, they say he will do."

Observers say the greatest challenge Bolsonaro will face is governing as an anti-establishment politician in such a deeply divided country. Lucrecia Franco, CGTN, Rio de Janeiro.