Cesar Zanin

This MPhil study examines Hitlerist rhetoric in Brazil and its consolidation in Bolsonarist discourse through a historical account of the origins and developments of the Bolsonarist slogan ‘Brazil above all’, and analysis of values and beliefs presented in Bolsonarist discourse that echo Hitlerist rhetoric. Bolsonarism is presented as a contemporary far-right mass movement and political religion. Drawing upon frameworks such as discourse analysis and the comparative-historical method, the study identifies the influence of Traditionalism, Brazilian Integralism, and fascism – especially Hitlerism – on Bolsonarist rhetoric, revealing its reactionary, supremacist values and beliefs, adapted to fit national contexts and to avoid the negative connotations linked to the legacies of colonialism, racism, and fascism. It highlights the contradiction between Bolsonarist claims to support democracy and its actual impact on Brazil’s social and political landscape, marked by social polarisation, democratic backsliding, and stochastic political violence. By examining the rise of Bolsonarism amid Brazil's historical legacies and social issues, the study identifies the social process of normalising Bolsonarist rhetoric and argues that the success of far-right mass movements like Bolsonarism and Hitlerism depends on the failings of a weak or lenient democracy when defied by a charismatic leader willing to break its boundaries. The research findings fill a significant gap by providing a comprehensive historical account of the Bolsonarist slogan’s symbolic power across time and contexts. The findings also dispute the validity of the term ‘illiberal democracy’ to describe Brazil under Bolsonarism and challenge reductive interpretations of Bolsonarism as merely populist, constituting original contributions to scholarship. The study concludes highlighting the continuity of Counter-Enlightenment supremacism as a shared thread among reactionary movements and emphasising the need to address the broader implications of Bolsonarist rhetoric to prevent the further spread of far-right ideologies in Brazil.

This article presents a cross-case comparative-historical and discourse analysis of Hitlerism in the 1920s–1930s and Trumpism and Bolsonarism in the 2010s–2020s. By examining their rhetoric and actions, it reveals enduring ideological continuities rooted in Counter-Enlightenment worldviews, with clear influences from Traditionalism and fascism that extend beyond their populist tactics. The research involved primary sources such as speeches, statements, and media coverage alongside secondary scholarship. The study highlights how their tactics serve to undermine democracy and consolidate authoritarian power. The article critically examines the overuse of the populism label, arguing it obscures deeper supremacist, fundamentalist, and authoritarian elements common to both historical and modern far-right movements. Ultimately, the analysis underscores the necessity of a nuanced, historically informed framework to understand and cope with contemporary reactionary politics. It calls for further research into the ideological connections and transnational networks sustaining these movements, emphasising the dangers posed by normalising authoritarian tendencies under simplistic categorisations.