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Bibles, beef, and bullets: Why Bolsonaro supporters aren't moving on

A dramatic — and violent — protest at the Brazillian capital capped months of agitation by Jair Bolsonaro supporters who want their president reinstated despite losing the election.

Supporters stormed the Brazilian capital last week in an echo of the Jan. 6 insurrection

CBC News ·
A protesters is seen with a line of riot police behind them.
A protester, supporter of Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro, stands in front of a line of police in riot gear, during the storming of the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, Jan. 8, 2023. Planalto is the official workplace of the president of Brazil. (Eraldo Peres/The Associated Press)
Nothing is Foreign27:46Bibles, beef, and bullets: Why Bolsonaro supporters aren't moving on

On Sunday, supporters of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro stormed the country's Congress. 

This happened just a week after the inauguration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Thousands of demonstrators crossed security barricades, smashed windows and ransacked offices.

For many who follow Brazilian politics closely, this act of violence wasn't surprising. Bolsonaro supporters have been blocking highways, and camping out at military headquarters across the country, demanding that the military reinstate the former president.

This week on Nothing is Foreign, we take a closer look at Bolsonaro's support base — often described as "bibles, beef and bullets," and the culture wars that have fuelled political divisions in the country, to better understand what might have led to this week's attack on Brazil's Congress.

Featuring:

  • Cedê Silva, Brasília-based journalist, working for The Brazilian Report.

Nothing is Foreign, a podcast from CBC News and CBC Podcasts, is a weekly trip to where the story is unfolding. It's hosted by Tamara Khandaker.

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