Brazilians are deeply divided into two ideologically opposing groups as they prepare to head to the polls for the second-round presidential run-off on 30 October, but few would dispute that this will be the most difficult test for the country’s democracy since the demise of the military dictatorship in 1985. The lead-up to the election has been marked by an escalation of political violence and the spread of misinformation and hate speech via social media. The country has lived through other moments of political tension in its recent past – for instance, in 2016, during the impeachment of former president Dilma Rousseff (2011-2016) of the left-wing Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT). Yet, nothing compares with the current level of polarisation and strain on the country’s democratic institutions. End of preview - This article contains approximately 1854 words.
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