Lula's government targets losing opponent Flavio Bolsonaro, says Wall Street Journal editorial — joining dissident journalists and bloggers already in exile.
BRASILIA — Flavio Bolsonaro has joined numerous dissident Brazilian journalists, bloggers and opinion makers who have gone into exile rather than risk prison in the years since the Supreme Court vacated Lula’s 2017 corruption conviction and began censoring critics, according to a Wall Street Journal editorial published Tuesday.
The editorial argues that Brazil is following a familiar pattern seen in countries that slide from freedom to autocracy: a demagogue wins at the polls, seizes control of the judiciary, and jails his enemies. It warns that the country’s democratic institutions are under severe strain, noting that “the rule of law can only survive where institutions are strong.”
“It isn’t clear that Brazil can,” the editorial states.
A pattern of persecution
The piece points to a growing climate of political persecution under Lula’s government, with increasing censorship of critics and the use of state institutions to target opponents. It highlights that the decision to annul Lula’s 2017 corruption conviction marked a turning point, enabling the current wave of repression.
By going after Flavio Bolsonaro, a sitting Brazilian senator and the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, the government is not only targeting a prominent political figure but also sending a message to journalists, bloggers and other dissenting voices who challenge the regime, the editorial notes.
Why it matters to American readers
The United States and Brazil are the two largest democracies in the Western Hemisphere. What happens to the rule of law in Brasilia does not stay in Brasilia — it reshapes migration flows, foreign investment, intelligence cooperation and the hemispheric balance of power.
The Wall Street Journal concludes that Brazil’s trajectory raises serious questions about the future of its democracy and whether its institutions will be able to withstand the ongoing erosion of fundamental freedoms. The Watch Post Daily will continue to follow this story and name every journalist, blogger and opposition figure who is forced to flee for the record.
Source: Wall Street Journal editorial, published October 27, 2026. Additional reporting from Brazilian primary sources.
Featured image: National Congress of Brazil in Brasilia, photo by renatolaky on Pixabay, licensed for commercial use with no attribution required.
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