Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is focusing on unsubstantiated election 'crimes' — and casting doubt on the integrity of the election system, so as to be able to falsely claim fraud at the ballot box in the event of a loss. | Opinion by Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Editor’s Note: Ruth Ben-Ghiat , a frequent contributor to CNN Opinion, is professor of history and Italian studies at New York University and the author of “Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present.” She publishes the newsletter Lucid on threats to democracy. The views expressed here are her own. Read more opinion on CNN. “A new class of thieves has emerged who want to steal our freedom,” Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro thundered during a speech last June.
That harrowing experience with dictatorship explains the extraordinary efforts by civil organizations and opposition groups to ensure that the election system, which in Brazil is overseen by the federal electoral courts headed by a Supreme Electoral Tribunal, functions as it should on election day. Another key goal of those who would safeguard Brazil’s democracy is to reassure voters that the election outcome will be fair.
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