BOLSONARO: Nazism, Communism must be 'repudiated without exception'

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took to Twitter this week to say that Nazism, Communism and all forms of “totalitarian ideology” must be rejected.

- A ideologia nazista deve ser repudiada de forma irrestrita e permanente, sem ressalvas que permitam seu florescimento, assim como toda e QUALQUER ideologia totalitária que coloque em risco os direitos fundamentais dos povos e dos indivíduos, como o direito à vida e à liberdade.

— Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) February 9, 2022

The conservative leader’s comments were made after controversial talk show host Bruno “Monark” Aiub said on Monday that Brazil “should have a Nazi party recognized by law,” a statement which led prosecutors to open a hate speech investigation against him and threw Brazil into a heated debate surrounding free-speech and political correctness.

"Nazi ideology should be unconditionally and permanently repudiated, without exception, like EVERY totalitarian ideology that places fundamental freedoms such as the rights to life and liberty at risk," the president wrote.

"Our wish is for other organizations that promote ideologies that preach anti-Semitism, the division of people by race or class, and that also decimated millions of innocents around the world, such as Communism, to be included and combatted by our laws, as well," he added.

"This needs to be a moment for reflection and maturity with regards to the kind of environment we want to create for Brazil. Let us all show better judgment and more responsibility."

Aiub – who said during an interview with lawmakers that all ideologies should have a space in Brazil --  now faces up to five years in prison if convicted of defending Nazism, the BBC reported.

"The radical left has much more space than the radical right," he said, calling for the creation of a Brazilian Nazi party. "If someone wants to be anti-Jewish, I think they have the right to be."

Although the talk show host subsequently apologized for his comments, claiming he was “very drunk” when he made them, he has since been fired from his Flow Podcast show, which has 3.6 million subscribers on YouTube.