In Brazil, the far-right front-running presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro is being accused of profiting from a misinformation campaign smearing his opponent Fernando Haddad. Haddad’s leftist Workers’ Party is calling for an investigation into the campaign allegedly funded by pro-Bolsonaro entrepreneurs, using the popular social networking platform WhatsApp. Meanwhile, a campaign video released by Haddad is drawing attention to the link between Bolsonaro and President Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon.
Narrator: “Steve Bannon is accused of sabotaging democratic regimes around the world. He uses fake news to spread fear and violence to win elections. … Bannon is a specialist in spreading terror around the world. Bolsonaro has spent the last 30 years doing this in Brazil.”
Haddad and Bolsonaro are set to face off in the final round of Brazil’s elections on October 28.