Jair Bolsonaro Might Lose Backing From Major Companies, Here's Why

When it comes to the 38th and current president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, think before you speak has never been really his best ability. Whether it is criticizing LBGT people, passing comments against indigenous people, and journalists, or openly supporting the military dictatorship, he has always attracted the public ire because of his opinions. And once again, he has landed himself in troubled waters.

But recently, Jair Bolsonaro endorsed planned protests designed to cow Brazil’s democratic institution and some business leaders are backing his actions. Like Smart Fit founder Edgard Corona who targeted Rodrigo Maia, speaker of the lower house of congress, by sharing videos in the WhatsApp group of Brasil 200, a powerful business organization.

A member of the group, Luciano Hang, owner of the Havan department store chain, is also supporting the anti-Democratic demonstrations, while an investor, Otavio Fakhoury, has even offered to pay for sound trucks for the demonstration.

This chain of events has sparked widespread outrage across Brazil as the masses are appalled by Bolsonaro’s prejudice and dictatorship. So, now, they are calling for mass boycotts of major companies whose founders or owners are supporting the far-right president.

Like Edwin Carvalho, 39, a journalism professor in the southern city of Florianópolis, who has posted a message on a closed LGBT Facebook group with 320,000 members requesting them to boycott Smart Fit gym chains.

“I am a university professor, a journalist, gay,” Carvalho said. “I am everything Bolsonaro most detests in the world.”

And Smart Fit isn’t the only company which is being boycotted- Havan, the Riachuelo clothes shops, Centauro sports shops, and the Coco Bambu restaurant chain are also a part of it.

In an attempt to do some damage control, SmartFit has shared an email stating that it “does not support any politician or party. Our main mission is to make access to high standard fitness democratic”, adding that they also support the LGBTQIA+ cause. But it has done little to calm down the public outrage as they continue to boycott SmartFit and other companies as well.

“Business leaders are defending their own interests not the people. That’s why I chose to boycott not just Smart Fit but other companies too,” said Luiz Pimentel, 44, a public servant in Rio.