How cannibalism became a top issue in Brazil’s election

The campaign between Bolsonaro and Lula sank into a mire of mudslinging in its final days, also punctuated by accusations of freemasonry, devil worship and paedophilia.

Simon Romero

Oct 31, 2022 – 10.56am

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The last time a leftist party held power in Brazil, in 2016, a right-wing fixture on the fringes of Congress was making a name for himself: Jair Bolsonaro.

Among presidential hopefuls, he was polling in the single digits, known for positions such as exalting torturers. Pundits scoffed at the idea that he could one day win. But I was examining how Brazil was steadily shifting to the right and I set out to interview him.