The International Nationalism of Bolsonarismo and its Impact on Local Communities in Brazil

In this episode, we are joined by GLD fellow Fernando Brancoli, who is an Associate Professor at the Institute for International Relations and Defense, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He is also an Associated Researcher at the Orfalea Center for Global Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Fernando and host Ellen Lust discuss Fernando’s book Bolsonarismo - The Global Origins and Future of Brazil’s Far Right, published with Rutgers University Press in November 2023. The book looks at the rise of the far-right alliance that emerged in Brazil in 2020 around the figure of former president Jair Bolsonaro, exploring how Bolsonarismo has developed a specific political orientation through its partnerships with other groups, practices, and subjectivities within Brazil, as well as internationally.

Ellen and Fernando talk about how the rise of far-right movements and Bolsonarismo has impacted and continues to impact different types of local communities within Brazil. Fernando points to the interaction between transnational, national, and local influences when explaining Bolsonarismo and how local communities have organized themselves in response. He parallels former and current leaders like Victor Orban, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Donald Trump and suggests that Bolsonaro can be considered an international nationalist who aimed to create alliances to keep international actors out of Brazil. He also gives examples of how indigenous communities have utilized both cross-community and transnational relations and created new platforms of engagement and governance to build resistance.

Discussions about this and much more will follow in the episode. We hope you find it interesting!

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Fernando Brancoli is an Associate Professor at the Institute for International Relations and Defense, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil. He was a Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies (SPSS) in Princeton (2021-2023) and is currently an Associated Researcher at the Orfalea Center for Global Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, both in the US. Specializing in South-South relations, Brancoli's research delves into governance, security, and development. He conducted extensive fieldwork across three continents, exploring the interplay between local communities and transnational entities and their collective impact on governance. His publications include Bolsonarismo - The Global Origins and Future of Brazil’s Far Right (Rutgers University Press, 2023) and The Tropical Silk Road: The Future of China in South America (Stanford University Press, 2022).