A política nas redes sociais e a expansão da extrema direita no século XXI: o caso do governo de Jair Bolsonaro no Brasil

Abstract

The aim of this research is to understand how social networks are used by far-right leaders to amplify and spread their agendas based on the case of Brazilian president Jair Messias Bolsonaro (2019-2021). The three variables of Samantha Bradshaw and Philip Howard (2019) - defamation of the political opposition, repression of human rights and discrediting politicians with divergent opinions to the party - will be the elements analyzed in the president's performance in the media. The variables in question analyze the tactics achieved for the political manipulation conducted by Cyber Troops, government actors in charge of shaping public opinion online. In addition to the bibliographic review, material taken from the president's social networks, especially Twitter and Facebook, will be analyzed. Taking on the face of laundering, anti-petismo and the anti-corruption movement, Bolsonaro turned to social media as his political platform. The politician relied on online media to build his heroic and anti-corruption narrative, and after his election, through defamation and dissemination of fake news about his opponents, the traditional media and political opposition, repression of human rights through historical revisionism about the facts of the Brazilian military dictatorship and anti-science and denial stance on vaccines against Covid-19 served as means to spread its agenda. Finally, the online attacks on formerly allied politicians and now turned into enemies for diverging from the ideology and the party demonstrate the digital articulation of the politician and the “bolsonarista” militancy.