Jair Bolsonaro

It’s hard to admit how far off Brazil has strayed. Less than forty years ago, the country was coming out of a military dictatorship, and for more than three decades stood on a steady, and shiny, path to development. Now again, there’s a military president ruling the country, with a military as his Vice, several militaries on his cabinet, and hundreds of other military personnel on the lower ‘ranks’ of the government. And this military president comes in public and simply states that the Armed Forces of the country will not accept a supreme court rule if it comes out against him.

U.S. Army Field Manual 6-22, titled “Leadership Development,” states that the ability to show empathy toward others is a key factor in exhibiting Army leadership qualities. Donald Trump, who is ordering all 1000 graduating U.S. Army cadets at West Point back to campus on June 13 from sheltering at home during the Covid-19 pandemic, does not possess the leadership skills that have been drilled into each of the new Army Second Lieutenants who will be present for Trump’s commencement address.

While most countries across the world implemented measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro dismissed concerns of the spread and refused to consider measures to safeguard the population. So far Brazil has registered 53,000 cases and over 3,600 people have died from the virus. Scientists believe the spread in Brazil has reached over 1 million people.

Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with Brazilian journalist and researcher, Aline Piva, after Brazil’s Justice Minister, Sergio Moro, garnered…
The post How Bolsonaro and COVID-19 are pushing Brazil towards military dictatorship appeared first on The Grayzone.

The coronavirus pandemic has started to have another profound effect: The political leadership of the world is being transformed. No world leaders have as yet been actually killed by the virus. But several have been incapacitated, one major leader appears already to have been toppled with a second under sudden threat while the policies and world views of several others have been turned upside down and inside out.

Submitted by InfoBrics, authored by Lucas Leiroz, research fellow in international law at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro…

Throughout the world in countries that elected right-wing anti-government libertarian leaders – from the United States and Brazil to the United Kingdom and Australia – incompetence and lack of preparedness for the Covid-19 pandemic will directly lead to hundreds of thousands of needless deaths. The political rhetoric of those leaders who practice “barbarian laissez-faire” policies have been exposed by Covid-19 as worthless pablum designed to enthrall their unthinking supporters.

Submitted by InfoBrics, authored by Lucas Leiroz, research fellow in international law at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro...

In comments ignored by English-language media, Lula da Silva slammed the US coup attempt against Venezuela, calling Nicolás Maduro a…
The post Brazil’s ex-President Lula on Venezuela: Maduro is democratic, Guaidó should be in prison, US blockade kills civilians appeared first on The Grayzone.

Southern Command is ramping up the US military presence in Latin America to counter China, Russia, and Venezuela, after signing…
The post Southcom boosts US military presence in Latin America, citing China, Russia ‘threats’ appeared first on The Grayzone.