Jair Bolsonaro

Biography

Jair Messias Bolsonaro was born on March 21, 1955, in Glicério, São Paulo, Brazil. He started his military career in 1973 and graduated from the Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras in 1977. His military service ended controversially in 1986 when he was arrested and detained for fifteen days after he wrote an article for Veja magazine criticizing the low wages of military officers. This incident marked his shift from military service to political activism.

After leaving the army, Bolsonaro moved into politics at the local level, winning election to the Municipal Chamber of Rio de Janeiro in 1988. Two years later, he was elected to the federal Chamber of Deputies, representing Rio de Janeiro state. During his 27-year stint as a congressman from 1991 to 2019, he became known as a conservative voice, promoting traditional values and military interests. His political views often stirred controversy but also gained him a loyal following among conservative voters.

Bolsonaro's presidential ambitions came to fruition during the 2018 election campaign, where he promoted economically liberal policies while maintaining his socially conservative views. The campaign took a dramatic turn when he survived an assassination attempt on September 6, 2018, at a campaign event. Despite this challenge, he led the first round of voting on October 7 and ultimately defeated Fernando Haddad of the Workers' Party in the runoff election on October 28, 2018.

As Brazil's 38th president from 2019 to 2023, Bolsonaro initially focused on dealing with the lingering effects of the 2014 Brazilian economic crisis. His administration saw some economic recovery and reductions in crime rates in the first year. However, his presidency increasingly faced criticism for his environmental policies that reduced protections for Indigenous groups in the Amazon rainforest and led to more deforestation. His handling of the COVID-19 pandemic was widely criticized, as he often downplayed the severity of the health crisis, opposed quarantine measures, and replaced two health ministers while Brazil's death toll rose sharply. His tenure ended after he lost the 2022 presidential election.