Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has waded into a swirling controversy over Nazism unleashed by a popular podcast in Brazil, saying it should be repudiated along with every other totalitarian ideology, including Communism.
The far-right leader’s comments come after star talk show host Bruno “Monark” Aiub said Monday during his YouTube podcast that Brazil “should have a Nazi party recognized by law.”
Aiub’s remarks led prosecutors to open a hate speech investigation against him, and ignited a firestorm in Brazil, which is deeply divided heading into elections in October in which Bolsonaro is expected to face leftist ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
With his hardline base facing scrutiny, Bolsonaro — himself no stranger to criticism for his past statements on Nazism — takes to Twitter to stake out his stance, without directly mentioning Aiub or his remarks.
“Nazi ideology should be unconditionally and permanently repudiated, without exception, like EVERY totalitarian ideology that places fundamental freedoms such as the rights to life and liberty at risk,” the president writes.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro gestures during the Marechal Rondon Communications Award ceremony at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, on September 14, 2021. (Evaristo Sa/AFP)
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