Brazil To Go To The Polls Amid A Surge Of The Far Right

For those who track the rise of extreme populist nationalism worldwide, this Sunday's election in Brazil represents an important test of how far to the right voters in Latin America's largest nation are prepared to turn. Amid a race widely regarded as the country's most divisive general election in decades, attention is focused on Jair Bolsonaro, a veteran congressman and retired army captain from the far right. Bolsonaro not only has led the polls throughout the campaign but has managed to expand his lead in the race's closing days. Corruption, rampant crime and a stagnant economy have corroded the public's faith in establishment politicians, leading many Brazilians to turn to Bolsonaro as their champion — viewing him as an outsider despite his more than 25 years in Congress. His rise is often compared to that of President Trump, whom he admires. To win outright on Sunday, Bolsonaro must secure more than 50 percent of the vote — a prospect considered unthinkable by Brazil's mainstream