The military dictatorship that ruled Brazil from 1964 to 1985 exiled leftist politicians, dissidents, artists and academics. Decades later, prominent Brazilian leftists and activists are again leaving the country, but this time they are fleeing death threats from rightwing extremists and supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro.
...The four exiles all describe a cocktail of threats from paramilitary gangs, rightwing extremists and a nihilistic dark-web forum whose users spew hate for leftists, women and black people.
At times those threats coincided with abuse or defamatory lies shared online by high-profile followers of Brazil’s far-right president.
...Anderson França, a writer and educator whose Facebook and Instagram posts denouncing racism, inequality and police violence are widely read in Brazil, has long received threats and racist abuse for his work.
After Franco’s murder and Bolsonaro’s election win, friends and colleagues told him it was no longer safe for him in Brazil. He moved to Portugal – and continues writing.
“We’re very worried about the people who stayed,” he said. “Is another activist going to die?”
New generation of political exiles leave Bolsonaro's Brazil 'to stay alive' https://t.co/fbNcghjuOj
— The Guardian (@guardian) 11 July 2019
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