MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

The “communist” map that irked nationalists because Malvinas are Falklands and don't figure as Argentine

Fanatically anti Communist as his father, Eduardo Bolsonaro warns that the “responsibility of the Brazilian voter has become ever more challenging”

When it's not the father, president Jair Bolsonaro, it's one of his sons, in this case Eduardo Bolsonaro, federal lawmaker who is involved in a controversy over his interpretation of South America's political mood and trend, which he described as mostly pure red communist.

And to the horror of Argentine nationalists, not only does he describe Argentina as a territory under Soviet-Marxist influence but identifies the Malvinas as the Falkland Islands and not belonging to the sovereignty claimers of territorial integrity.

Eduardo Bolsonaro posted a map of South America, following the triumph of Gustavo Petro in Colombia with a clear majority of countries under the sickle and hammer emblem, be it not for Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. This comes after Petro and his ticket companion, an Afro American woman, became allegedly the first left candidate to win a presidential election in conservative Colombia.

A responsabilidade do eleitor brasileiro só aumenta. Já não é mais “tão somente” pelo Brasil, é por toda a região. pic.twitter.com/98y1XaEfGq

— Eduardo Bolsonaro (@BolsonaroSP) June 20, 2022

Fanatically anti Communist as his father, Eduardo Bolsonaro regrets the electoral result in Colombia and warns that the “responsibility of the Brazilian voter has become ever more challenging, and not only for Brazil, but for the whole region”.

In effect, besides Colombia, Bolsonaro Jr includes as part of the Communist Soviet “spreading gang” Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela and Argentina. But the most virulent Argentine reaction came because the Malvinas are not considered Argentine territory and besides he calls them Falklands.

So far, what is considered another blow for the Latin American right has not triggered many surprises and the Brazilian president has yet to comment.

Anyhow one of his closest advisors pointed out that ”given the advance of the extreme left in Latin America with several successive victories for the (Socialist oriented) Sao Paulo Forum, our responsibility as Brazilians is so much greater. May God have mercy on us and renders us conditions to protect our country and our people”.

Brazil is holding presidential elections next October with ex president Lula da Silva clearly leading in the opinion polls, while Bolsonaro Sr. bid to repeat are sliding far behind. Anyhow unless none of the candidates manages 50% of votes cast plus one, a runoff is scheduled for November, and all indicates that Lula and Bolsonaro will be the contenders.

As to the Falklands/Malvinas controversy that has irked Argentine nationalists, president Bolsonaro, a former Para captain and very close to the military establishment (half his cabinet are mostly retired generals), recalls that during the 1982 war, and Brazil under military rule, even when the foreign ministry referred to the Islands Malvinas, the military preferred Falklands and were quite displeased with the Argentine invasion and occupation.

In effect, any map will show that Brazil has frontiers with all South American countries, except Chile and Ecuador, and border conflicts with all of them. Brazilian military feared the Argentine adventurism could lead of a rash of claims against Brazil from all its neighbors, plus the serious possibility of foreign intervention in South American sea and territory.

Finally we must add that Petro, twice elected mayor of the Colombian capital Bogotá, has also been a lawmaker and this was his third presidential attempt. He has a solid academic background in economics, environment, public administration, demography and development in Colombia, Spain and Belgium, A former member of a guerrilla movement M/19, which accepted peace terms and turned into a political party, his political life has not been without controversies denouncing corruption and military excesses in fighting guerrilla and armed peasant groups.

Petro had pledged to change the Colombian economy, from a minerals extraction and exporter country (mainly coal and oil) to the promotion of the eleven most productive crops of the country. Likewise lower tariffs to sponsor local industry and added value, taxing the rich, social inclusion by investing heavily in education, culture, sports and a health care system. And in a country ravaged by decades of violence and internal warfare, crime, criminal action must be addressed as a “multidimensional” issue with all its social implications. Good luck Petro.