Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro is “in some ways worse than (former Republican U.S. President Donald) Trump,” Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the poll favorite in Latin America’s largest country in October’s presidential election, said yesterday. rougher”, “less civilized” and “bad impression” of the American real estate tycoon.

Mr. Bolsonaro, nostalgic for a period of military dictatorship, has been an open admirer of the 45th US president for years, and has been dubbed by some as “tropical Trump.” The two were ideological allies, and by the time they came to power, relations between the two states had grown considerably closer.

Instead, the Brazilian leader was one of the last world leaders to congratulate Joe Biden on winning the 2020 election. Relations between Brazil and Washington have become much colder since he left the White House in 2021.

Many fear Bolsonaro will copy Donald Trump if he loses the October 2nd election by refusing to admit defeat to Lula. For some time now, the head of state has been making unsubstantiated allegations of fraud and claims that the e-voting system is unreliable, raising fears of an institutional crisis.

A few days ago, Mr. Trump expressed “full support” for Mr. Bolsonaro, who he said had done “an amazing job.”

Speaking to reporters, Lula decided that the world is better when there are people like Mr. Bolsonaro and Trump. “The world is already suffering a lot,” he noted, adding that he would prefer that his opponent would rather copy other US presidents such as Donald Trump’s two predecessors, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

Bolsonaro’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

As political tensions continue to rise in Brazil, police said yesterday that a 24-year-old supporter of the 67-year-old head of state stabbed a 42-year-old supporter of Lula, 76, to death. A similar episode was recorded in July.