Parallel Discourses, but in the Opposite Direction. Analysis of the Populisms of Jair Bolsonaro and Andrés Manuel López Obrador

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to explain why two different types of populism emerged in the 2018 elections of Mexico and Brazil, although both nations share a similar political and economic context (corruption, high levels of violence, impunity, inequality, poverty). The analysis shows that the populist discourse was successful both in Mexico and Brazil due to these four factors: i) there was a rupture in the social order, as a result, the citizens lost confidence in the institutions and in their capacity to restore this order; ii) the discredit suffered by the political class; iii) the transformations suffered by the mass media, which facilitated the dissemination of populist messages; and iv) the paralyses of the traditional parties. However, it is argued that the difference between both countries is that in Mexico there was a moderate left populism, founded on an exclusive capitalism, whereas in Brazil there was a radical right populism based on an inclusive capitalism.