In this article, we present an analysis of narratives mobilised by extreme right-wing leader Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, from March to December 2020. Our research indicates that, throughout that year, despite changes in the categories used, fear was continuously mobilised by the Brazilian president connecting an alleged ‘communist conspiracy’ to the coronavirus pandemic by creating narratives around
the terms ‘Chinese virus’ and ‘Chinese vaccine’. Mapping these conspiratorial discourses, we hope to better understand (1) how Bolsonaro converts conspiracy theories into ofcial state discourse as well as public policy, and (2) how Bolsonaro and his mediatic representatives weaponise tensions between individual freedom and public healthcare and the scientific community. Taking this scenario into account, we analyse how Bolsonaro uses social fear during the pandemic as part of his permanent campaign in a process resulting in serious risks to both public health and democracy.
Authors:
Isabela Kalil, isabela.kalil@outlook.com
São Paulo School of Sociology and Political Science, Brazil
Sofia Cherto Silveira
The New School, USA
Weslei Pinheiro and Álex Kalil
Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil
João Vicente Pereira
University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Wiverson Azarias
University of São Paulo, Brazil
Ana Beatriz Amparo
São Paulo School of Sociology and Political Science, Brazil
