Britain’s Dirty Business in Bolsonaro’s Brazil

 

In September 2022, the BBC aired a documentary titled “The Boys from Brazil: Rise of the Bolsonaros”.

The three-part series, co-released with US outlet PBS, documents the rise of Brazil’s far right leader Jair Bolsonaro – who went from an obscure dictatorship-era military figure to the winner of the country’s 2018 presidential election.

“Jair Bolsonaro is one of the world’s most controversial leaders”, the documentary begins. “An ardent admirer of Brazil’s military dictatorship, Bolsonaro came to power determined to revive their policies to exploit the Amazon – whatever the cost”.

The documentary was released shortly before Brazilians go to the polls on 2 October, with former president and Workers’ Party (PT) candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva the frontrunner. Concerns are mounting over whether Bolsonaro would accept electoral defeat if he were to lose the vote.

While the documentary airs voices which are critical of the Bolsonaro regime, it omits a crucial detail of clear interest to the British public – the UK government’s secret dealings with the Bolsonaros.

Documents obtained via the Freedom of Information Act offer details of UK collaboration with Brazil’s far right, and show how Bolsonaro’s Brazil has represented an opportunity for British business.  (more...)

Britain’s Dirty Business in Bolsonaro’s Brazil