January 2, 2023

"Mr. Bolsonaro was supposed to pass Mr. Lula the presidential sash... an important symbol of the peaceful transition of power..."

"... in a nation where many people still recall the 21-year military dictatorship that ended in 1985. Instead, Mr. Bolsonaro woke up Sunday thousands of miles away, in a rented house owned by a professional mixed-martial-arts fighter a few miles from Disney World. Facing various investigations from his time in his office, Mr. Bolsonaro flew to Orlando on Friday night.... Mr. Bolsonaro had questioned the reliability of Brazil’s election systems for months, without evidence, and when he lost in October, he refused to concede unequivocally. In a sort of farewell address on Friday, breaking weeks of near silence, he said... 'Within the laws, respecting the Constitution, I searched for a way out of this.... We live in a democracy or we don’t... No one wants an adventure.'...  [At the inauguration, a] voice then announced that Mr. Lula would accept the green-and-yellow sash from 'the Brazilian people,' and Aline Sousa, a 33-year-old garbage collector, played the role of Mr. Bolsonaro and placed the sash on the new president."

The NYT reports in "Lula Becomes Brazil’s President, With Bolsonaro in Florida/Brazil inaugurates its new president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, on Sunday. Facing investigations, former President Jair Bolsonaro has taken refuge in Orlando."

Sash presentation at 1:00:

46 comments:

Mr Wibble said...

Brazil is about to experience a wave of "bad luck" and I have no sympathy.

Leland said...

"Without evidence", the marker that an article is biased to one viewpoint.

Yeah Right Sure said...

The AP style guide must restrict the usage to items that progressives oppose. I can't recall ever seeing its usage in a "climate change" or "diversity and Indoctrination" article.

RideSpaceMountain said...

Lula is a dead man.

gilbar said...

As Leland said, " without evidence" is only used on one side

tim maguire said...

without evidence

That’s code for they don’t like Bolsonaro’s evidence and so will just ignore it.

rehajm said...

They’re merely following Ann’s Original Rules for Elections*- rig the vote, then get enough of the media to declare you the winner before Thursday and…you’re the winner! It’s time to move on…


*(The Original Rules for Elections will be in place until the right wing election machine manages to steal one, at which time the Original Rules for Elections will be superseded by the New Original Rules for Elections, where it isn’t over until all the Ts are crossed, Is dotted, audited in triplicate…)

William said...

I suppose it's possible that both of them are corrupt. Maybe Lula was convicted on trumped up charges. Maybe Lula will convict Bolsanaro on trumped up charges. Maybe democracy would be better off it didn't become a tradition in Brazil to send your predecessor to jail.....Lula had an 80% approval rating on leaving office? Why then was this a close election. I know next to nothing about Brazilian politics, but the NYT coverage seems blatantly biased....I'm old. I remember all the nice things the NYT said about Daniel Ortega and his followers when they were romantic revolutionaries seeking to establish a land of peace and bread in Nicaragua and their idyllic quest was opposed by Ronald Reagan. Ortega has achieved his quest and nowadays the NYT maintains a tactful silence about the achievements of his regime.

Kai Akker said...


--- Aline Sousa, a 33-year-old garbage collector, played the role of Mr. Bolsonaro and placed the sash on the new president.

That could have been us!

How did Nancy miss the opportunity for such theatrics? After all, Pelosi is the people; the people, c'est Pelosi!

Brazil should not outdo us in dEMOcracy.

Maybe next time.

n.n said...

The democratic/dictatorial duality.

Fredrick said...

I'm sure Lulu will follow the example of Time's "Man of the Year" 2022 when it comes to political opposition. Or as Joe said "Democracy!"

tommyesq said...

The NYT missed an opportunity - sashes come from beauty pageants, Trump ran Miss America, Trump's fault!

Big Mike said...

They have no evidence against Donald Trump. Has that stopped anybody at all? It hasn’t even stopped you, Althouse.

Lurker21 said...

Lula was also convicted of corruption, though his convictions were overturned to allow him to run for president again. I don't know the details, but it looks like a safe bet to assume that both these guys have done things that could land them in jail. Only one faces imminent prosecution, the one out of power. More honest reporters would have clued us into the larger picture.

Judging from the Wikipedia article, Brazilians were smart enough not to give Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, "known mononymously as Lula," a solid majority in Congress. They have a multiparty system, so Lula may have to rely on minor parties for support, which will limit his power to make major changes (assuming he actually does want to make such changes).

Sebastian said...

"Mr. Bolsonaro had questioned the reliability of Brazil’s election systems for months, without evidence, and when he lost in October, he refused to concede unequivocally."

Wow. Just like Hillary. That's bad!

Beaver7216 said...

"without evidence" Seems like a nicer and more accurate way of stating it. Much better than NYT's constant "Trump's lie". "Without sufficient evidence" might be more accurate. So much of truth is based on available evidence, the current paradigms, and the current groups in power and therefore may change over time. Perhaps lawyer types have troubles with this as the law is the law but scientists should be skeptical.

Wilbur said...

My wife, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Brazil, is devastated along with her friends and relatives in Brazil and here that the Leftist crook Lula stole another election. They are still hoping and praying for a military coup, knowing that Brazil could become another Venezuela.

Kinda' sounds like the USA to me, except the top rank of the military here is Leftist too.

Birches said...

Replace Bolsanaro with Trump. Same thing. Who knows what the truth is, but it's definitely not the NYT propaganda.

Aggie said...

From being a jailbird (for state-sponsored corruption enterprises), to having the charges annulled by the courts system, to becoming El Presidente yet once again. Brazil shows the world how some of us can feast on corruption, by creating a system of separate codes of behavior: One for Us, one for the Rest. Coming soon, to a crumbling democracy or republic near you.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

I love the deployment of “without proof” language to signal what side America’s elite and their lickspittle media are on. Fact: commies always cheat. That’s what they do. But if you avert your gaze you can always say “without evidence” and we’ll know. Wink wink.

Achilles said...

This is just another WEF operation.

Lula is a corrupt hack who was pardoned by a corrupt judge.

The election was obviously corrupt. But questioning it has been censored by the corrupt giant tech corps and made a criminal act by corrupt courts.

And now they are criminalizing political opposition.

Just like Ukraine. Just like the US.

This is a global movement against freedom by the wealthy.

It will soon be popular to oppose them.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

Bolsonoro was pro-clear cutting rain forest. that's a deal killer for me.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

Lula is horrible too - but there you have it. Our political class is broken.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

Agree "without evidence" is a FBI/Clintonian word-play framework. It means nothing but - 'look away while we do what we want.'

RideSpaceMountain said...

@Wilbur

My wife is also Brazilian. Sounds like both our extended families are in the same boat, and feel the same way.

Muito Saudade.

RNB said...

So a male, Brazilian Stacey Abrams?

rcocean said...

"Without evidence" = another NYT lie. The Brazilians rightwingers had lots of "evidence". The NYT is pushing this line because if there was "evidence" in Brazil's election, then people might engage in "Bad think" and wonder about 2020 and Trump.

Bolsanaro did the right thing. Trump did the right thing in not attending Joe Biden's inaugural too. Lets see what the Leftwing President does. Suppposedly, he'll be more independent of the USA. We'll see.

n.n said...

Bolsonoro was pro-clear cutting rain forest. that's a deal killer for me.

Environmentalist? Clearing the field for Green new deals. Yeah, that's not a viable proposition.

n.n said...

And now they are criminalizing political opposition.

Just like Ukraine. Just like the US.


The very model of apartheid, including native collateral damage, less the historical conflict between Mandela's Xhosa and Zulu to justify its inception.

Anthony said...

"Without evidence" = "they're right, but....."

Yancey Ward said...

It will be interesting to see how Lula rules the second time. The first time, his supporters controlled the legislature, too, if I am remembering correctly, but not this time. I predict he will go Hugo Chavez in direction now. The Left got voted out when Bolsonaro won the first time, but I predict they won't let that happen ever again.

Michael K said...

The judges in Brazil sound a bit like some of ours. First, they acquit the attempted assassin, then they dismiss Lula's convictions for corruption so he can run again, then they ignore the cheating. I wonder if Marc Elias was a consultant?

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

n.n.
Clear-cutting massive old growth rain forest for cattle operations.
Not always a good idea...
I also question cobalt mining for so-called "green energy" battery operated cars.


WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

I predict life in Brazil will suck - and many desperate Brazilians will flee to our southern border. Because life under corrupt leftist rule is always peachy-keen and stuff.
FBI-Biden corrupt cabal? All good.

robother said...

Only the legitimate holder of the sash may confer the sash. Where is Miss Brazil?

DINKY DAU 45 said...

I know I have heard this somewhere before. Another loser just can't handle the whoopin. The NEW AGE method with plenty of role models to ape.

Fred Drinkwater said...

Essay prompt: relate "without evidence" and "fake but accurate".

Fred Drinkwater said...

Mining for cobalt and rare earths is totally green, as long as it's not done in California, home of the electric future. Just ask any California Democrat about why such mining has been suppressed here, and marvel at the justifications.

hombre said...

"...without evidence ...."

This is a conclusory assertion, also without evidence. The hypocritical leftmediaswine just can't help themselves.

Jason said...

"Without evidence."

LOL fuck these people.

Michael K said...


Blogger DINKY DAU 45 said...

I know I have heard this somewhere before. Another loser just can't handle the whoopin. The NEW AGE method with plenty of role models to ape.


New age role models like the guys in hoodies with hammers grabbing jewelry stores' stocks. The "whoopin" is defined as sophisticated stealing. Lefties have always said "Property is Theft." You'd fit right in in San Francisco.

Mark O said...

Regretful that Biden was not peacefully inaugurated and is not the President.
Brazil's riots were not even protests.

Mark O said...

Regretful that Biden was not peacefully inaugurated and is not the President.
Brazil's riots were not even protests.

Achilles said...

Hunter Biden's tax payer funded Hooker said...
Bolsonoro was pro-clear cutting rain forest. that's a deal killer for me.

Welp.

No further thought necessary, as usual.

You live in a country that got wealthy by clear cutting. Brazil needs space to grow food and grow economically just like we did.

The Rain Forest is not any more special that our forests were.

If you want to see some clear cutting go up to British Colombia.

You can tell who the people are who live in the Regime media bubble.

n.n said...

I also question cobalt mining for so-called "green energy" battery operated cars.

Yes, Green energy is an environmental blight, clear cutting to open spaces for windmills, photovoltaic panels, and other weather, environment dependent, low-density energy converters.

MadTownGuy said...

I've driven by the Mountain Pass Mine many times on I-15 in the CA desert. It has been operating for years. Some info:

"The Mountain Pass rare earth mine located in San Bernardino County, California is the only operating rare-earth element (REE) mine in the US. With an average grade greater than 8%, Mountain Pass is considered to be one of the highest quality rare earth deposits in the world."

I don't think cobalt is mined there, but the metals that can be extracted from it include cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, and europium.