Original subtitles

O, Deus!

This city was designed as a vision of Brazil's future.

A desire to break with centuries of Catholic colonial tradition

and replace it with a modernist vision

of equality and justice.

And the cement that held it together was a faith.

Not in God, but instead in the equally abstract ideas

of progress and democracy.

Yet, when I came here to film in 2016,

an economic and political crisis was leaving Brazilians in doubt

about the powers of democracy.

We need important reforms and meaningful changes.

We wouldn't be able to withstand four different governments in just four years.

The Brazilian economy is going through its worst recession in history.

In the name of Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ.

In the name of Jesus Christ.

Lord, I trust that those in leadership here, both men and women,

are guided by your wisdom.

I believe, dear God, that these congressmen and congresswomen

in this place, Lord, are people who you can use to bring praise to your glory.

To the senators and congressmen, God, in the name of Jesus.

In the name of Jesus.

The Almighty rules over the kingdom of man.

So even with all the authorities present here, God makes the decisions.

- What's your name? - Anna Petra.

Pleasure. Glad to be here with you all.

Look, the simple fact that you're all here in this very moment is ordained by God.

And what do you think will happen to Brazilian democracy?

Actually, if you look closely, the fall of the Brazilian government

has been declared. The Brazilian nation is experiencing

a new moment. They can't understand what's happening

because the war isn't against men.

The war is spiritual. It's Jesus.

It's in the name of Lord Jesus. To victory. To victory.

This Bible here is a gift for you.

The truth is in it. Start reading from the New Testament.

Don't start with the Old Testament. Start from The Book of Matthew.

Because here it speaks about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

You understand? This is the God I serve.

To the honor and glory of Lord Jesus Christ.

We come before you, your good, perfect, and delightful will.

We wish to claim in the name of Jesus and the angels...

In this chamber of power, the house of the people,

humankind has always presided

for better or for worse.

Congress in this very room enacted one of the most progressive constitutions

on the planet.

They impeached two presidents

and voted in and out a brutal military dictatorship.

There have been towering achievements and colossal mistakes,

but the acts--

- Lord... - ...were our own.

...acknowledging your sovereignty. We submit ourselves to your good, perfect,

and delightful will.

So what was happening here felt very strange.

I was witnessing an emphatic appeal by the faithful

to turn over the reins of government

to a different entity.

Let your kingdom come and reign over the executive, legislative,

and judicial branches.

May your sovereign will,

which is good, perfect, and pleasing to you, be established within

these powers of the Republic, guide the decisions that shape our nation,

and direct us toward the fulfillment of our prophetic destiny,

according to your divine plan.

When I came to this event

held in front of the Brazilian Congress,

I didn't quite understand what I was witnessing.

Let us welcome Pastor Silas Malafaia.

We are here today to declare that the left-wing madness, the insanity of it,

will not set Brazil on fire, no.

This is a place of peace.

They call us fundamentalists.

That's right. We have a foundation. We are against abortion.

We have a foundation. We believe in the value of life.

We are against the legalization of drugs. We have a foundation to stand on.

- Our God and our Father... - Our God and our Father...

- We hereby declare... - We hereby declare...

- Brazil belongs to the Lord... - Brazil belongs to the Lord...

- Jesus... Christ. - Jesus... Christ.

Now, looking back, I see they were prophesying.

We're actually planning the country's future.

Why should you vote for Bolsonaro as the president of our nation?

I just want to make something clear to you.

We're not voting for God. He's not running for office.

Of course, Bolsonaro has flaws and shortcomings like any leader.

I disagree with some of the things he says, but come on.

Let's take a moment to weigh the pros and cons.

Bolsonaro has one of the most important qualities

for the situation we're facing here in Brazil.

If I make it fair, and as long as it's up to me,

every citizen will have the right to own a firearm in their home

for self-defense and protection.

There won't be a single inch of land in the indigenous reserve

for Quilombola communities.

Let's shoot all left-wingers here in Acre.

The federal judge Sergio Moro has just ordered the arrest

of former president Luis Ignacio "Lula" da Silva.

Lula is a former union leader who served as

president of Brazil.

He helped lift tens of millions of Brazilians out of poverty.

Despite his legal troubles, Lula is a clear favorite

ahead of presidential elections in October.

The truth has come to light for Lula and the PT, as well as

for the Workers' Party voters, the left-wing nutjobs,

and all their supporters.

What I held on to as a Christian was John 8:32.

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free."

With truth, we are creating a new political path in Brazil.

This isn't the story of a secular state. It's a Christian state.

- May I come in? - Please come in.

Yeah, that's what they say in the media.

- My house is a mess right now, honestly. - Don't worry.

This is your business. Well, the Bible says that only God

can reach the dividing line between the marrow, the bones,

and the soul and the spirit, right?

Last week, I thought I was going to grab the knife. I'll kill myself.

My son won't see when he wakes up. I'll already be dead.

It lingers in my mind. And I've tried several times

to take my own life.

When you unite her prayer, mine and yours,

you will never break. You know why?

Because the moment you falter, we'll be here.

- It's prayer. - I'm grateful.

Before filming those pastors in Brasília,

I knew little about the Evangelical faith.

I only knew that in any remote city of Brazil,

where there are no hospitals, no paved roads,

there's always an Evangelical church offering its members social services,

a sense of belonging

and the meaning to life.

Crying a lot and feeling overwhelmed, lamenting to the Lord,

pouring your heart out to God, that everywhere you go,

desperately looking for a job, handing out resumes, people encourage you,

call you for interviews, but no matter what, the door never opens.

And the Lord saw me here right now to be with you, to tell you this,

I am here to break a curse over your life.

My secular bringing wasn't helping me decipher the signals around me.

I knew what the Russian Revolution was

and the formula for oxygen,

but nothing about the Apostle Paul, John of Patmos,

or the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

It was as if we shared the same land

but spoke completely different languages.

So, I finally start studying the Bible.

In the last 40 years,

Evangelicals have grown from five to more than 30% of Brazil's population.

What is taking place here

is one of the fastest religious shifts in human history.

One where a religion built on the faith and generosity of its believers

is also being molded by some church leaders

into an unprecedented political force.

You, Thorin High School. And you, Thorin University.

What are they teaching you with such audacity?

It's cultural Marxism coming from the Frankfurt School.

Cultural Marxism is waging ideological warfare against religion.

The situation is even more violent than you think.

Hmph.

Have you noticed that if you speak out against abortion,

if you speak out against gay marriage,

if you speak out against drug legalization,

you're ridiculed for holding such views?

That's the control of people's thoughts through the manipulation

of political correctness.

What do you want to be? Will you be just another one,

or will you make a difference?

Please stand up.

I want to be a prophet.

I pray that I will become the pastor of a generation that is going

to change the course of history.

A generation that is going to make

a difference in education, in entertainment, in culture, in science,

in arts, in the entrepreneurial sector, in commerce, in the executive branch,

in the legislative branch, in the judiciary branch.

A generation of worthy workers. A generation that is going to transform

the world through the renovation of its understanding.

Blessed in your power.

- Hello. - Oh, my God. I thought it was my nephew.

- I wasn't expecting you now. - Sorry about that.

Please, come on in. This is Helena.

- How old are you, Helena? Tell her. - Five.

- Five. - Let's show them that

- we're a normal family. - Mmm.

The Bible is a fantastic book. It teaches me how to be

a citizen of heaven and a citizen of Earth.

The big problem is that the evangelical church for many years,

something you didn't have the opportunity to witness like I did,

taught the people that their only identity

was citizens of heaven making them believe that the world had nothing to offer us.

All they taught was heaven, heaven, heaven.

You're here to suffer and to go to heaven.

Even when I began my speech by showing that we are citizens of the Earth

as Jesus said,

it wasn't accepted.

A pastor talking about politics? A pastor speaking his mind? You're insane.

This thing of giving opinions and pastors talking about politics,

it's only been 15 years, Sostenes?

- 12? - No more than 15.

No more than 15. It's been 15 years, give or take.

This is Pastor Silas Malafaia, the media star.

He has been appearing daily on television for 30 years.

In recent years, he has also been involved in politics.

In this democratic game, I'm not a candidate. I'm a pastor.

But when it comes to influencing, that's who I am. I was called to do this.

So are you the one who chooses the candidates?

Why is it that others are free to preach Marx's ideas,

but I'm not allowed to preach the ideas of Jesus?

That's a contradiction of those who advocate fully-fledged democracy.

In the political world, Silas Malafaia prefers to act

behind the scenes.

Our heartfelt prayer is that God bless Brazil.

For decades, Malafaia had been endorsing presidential candidates.

In 2002, Lula.

But it was a bad marriage.

Enough! Enough with PT!

Then, center-right Serra and Aécio Neves.

But they didn't get elected.

Bolsonaro strongly supports the core values of family.

He's against this crooked idea of sexualizing children at school,

which is what all left-wingers want.

Now, Bolsonaro was finally a candidate

who Malafaia could call his own.

My magistrate, you don't need to go anywhere. Relax.

When I first filmed him in 2016,

he was a low-ranking ultra-right politician

always running towards the nearest camera or microphone.

Relax, I'm not being arrested. I'm not being arrested.

Look, there are no saints here. If you came looking for saints,

you're in the wrong place. Let's go to the nearby cathedral.

Maybe you'll find some there.

He rose to fame by unleashing the country's most profound hatreds.

If it's up to me, you farmers are going to own rifles.

A 7.62 cartridge is the business card of a thug

from The Landless Workers' Movement. Thugs only understand

the language of violence.

In his struggle to expand his constituency,

he embraces his wife's religion

and his middle name, Messias.

Jesus is God's son.

And adopts the Christian nationalist identity

that would help carry him to the presidency.

In accordance with your public position, I baptize you in the name of the Father,

the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Jair Bolsonaro was the victim of an attack this afternoon.

Stabbed right in the middle of the crowd.

Even if he dies, he shall live. Even if he dies, he shall live.

Heaven was already determined that he is going to be president.

- He was chosen by God. - Rest assured,

there are millions of Christians, Bolsonaro, praying for you.

- Millions and millions, all right? - It was a miracle.

You're right about that. It was a miracle. I'm here with Magno, the kids,

everyone is here.

The miracle of his survival would be the consecration

of a marriage between a military man and his religious followers.

And it won't be those bastards who are against family values

and the well-being of the nation that will destroy our country.

Jair Bolsonaro is the newly elected President of the Republic.

The dictatorship is back!

No to Bolsonaro!

Let's welcome the President of Brazil.

I know...

I know I was a tiny drop of water

in the gigantic ocean that is Bolsonaro's victory.

God chose what the world considers foolish to bring shame upon the wise.

God chose the weak things of the world to bring shame upon the strong.

Now things are going to get deeper, God chose the things

that are considered lowly and of little value.

The despised ones, the ones considered disposable, the ones which are not,

which no one deems to be important, to confuse the ones which are,

so that no flesh whatsoever can boast before him.

That is why God chose you.

"God chose the foolish, the weak, the vile, and the despised."

In using these biblical verses,

Malafaia inaugurates a new type of leader for Brazil.

Someone whose lack of capabilities

is precisely what allows him to become a vessel of God.

Brazil above everything.

God above everyone.

A growing theocratic movement,

accompanied Bolsonaro into this palace,

Dominionism.

A theology that claims, Christians should control every aspect of society.

In the New Testament, the whore of Babylon sits atop seven mountains.

Which for dominionists represent all the areas

of a nation's culture, economy, and government.

They say, Christians must win them back from the forces of evil.

One by one.

With this election, they have begun to fulfill their own prophecy,

climbing to the top of that most precarious peak,

the peak of politics.

In Ezekiel, chapter 14, verse 21, it says there are four ways

God can judge the world. And this one,

which emerged on November 1st, 2019,

began spreading around the world from then on.

That is the first sign of the return of Jesus and the end of the world.

It has already faced its final distress.

- Mr. President... - But...

So what? I'm sorry, what do you want me to do? I'm Messias,

but I don't perform miracles.

Why bring terror to the people?

Everyone is going to die.

I'm sorry for those who died. I am.

But the reality is that everyone here is going to die.

None of you will be spared. And if you die in the middle of the field,

the vulture will still eat you. But everyone has the same smell.

My smell is the same as yours. It'll stink the same way.

The state cannot look out for everyone.

We want to call upon all the people of God,

all Christians who wish to fast and pray for the Brazilian nation

seeking God's intervention so that there may be peace,

so that there may be prosperity in our nation.

We thank everyone who is fasting for the future and prosperity of Brazil.

- Jesus Christ is the Lord of Brazil. - The Lord.

Instead of buying vaccines or implementing health measures,

the solution proposed was to perform new prayers,

make new promises,

and re-establish the divine contract

between the people, their rulers, and God.

We are here together today, living out God's purpose for Brazil.

You have been chosen and anointed to ascend as this nation's destined ruler.

And now, in the name of Jesus, I wish to assert that there will be

no more deaths caused by the coronavirus anywhere in Brazil.

Father of the Lord, Teacher of God, we're here on Celso Garcia Avenue,

praying for you on this sacred Sunday, April 5th, Palm Sunday,

as we come together in faith in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We can't take it anymore.

Since 8:00 a.m., we've been admitting patients.

They're starting to die one after another.

There's no sign of the medications arriving.

Everyone is dying.

People, I beg for your mercy and your compassion.

The entire oxygen supply of the healthcare facility

has completely run out.

There's no oxygen. Too many people are dying.

They won't take care of my father. He's dying here.

This is a desperate plea for help.

They refuse to care for him.

He's dying due to lack of care, due to lack of assistance.

My father is dying due to lack of assistance.

The way things are at that hospital,

the state has already collapsed, and now only God can protect us.

Only God.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

- I didn't see it coming. - And lead us not into temptation,

- but deliver us from evil. - My dear mother...

- May God rest his soul. - Forgive me, forgive me.

Please, God, forgive me.

At first, I couldn't reconcile

how the same Jesus who preached love and forgiveness

could be used to justify a government with such lack of empathy.

To understand, I had to start at the beginning.

Or rather, at the end.

The last book of the Christian Bible, The Book of Revelation.

It speaks of an apocalypse that would shortly come

in which evildoers would burn in hell and chosen ones

would be given eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

It is the strangest book in the New Testament

and the most controversial.

Instead of stories and moral teachings,

it offers visions, dreams, and nightmares

of Jesus descending to the Earth

to avenge the blood of his believers.

The Christ, who appears here,

is not the compassionate savior of the Gospels.

He's the Messiah who returns with his heavenly army

to win the final battle that marks the end of time

and the establishment of a new world.

The Book of Revelation is a foundational book

for the fundamentalist Evangelical movement.

Here, war leads to peace,

war leads to freedom,

war is a necessary evil

to combat a greater evil.

- Silas now, don't honk.

The nerve of that guy. Who does he think he is?

What's he thinking? Weaving like that. And now he wants to honk.

To heck with that guy. Go learn how to drive that thing.

I used to ride a motorbike. What? You still want to complain?

- Oh, Jesus. - What are you doing?

He's just messing around, zigzagging back and forth all over the place.

You want to get run off the road? Come on. Show me. There's the guy. Look.

My bodyguard is going to scare him. Look, he's going to ask him what he wants.

People think just because I'm a pastor, they can step on my neck

because I'm a pastor.

Jesus flipped tables at the temple.

Some people don't know the Bible. Jesus grabbed a whip

and drove out the people who were misbehaving in the temple.

He flipped tables, whipped people. It wasn't a walk in the park.

The Jesus of love, kindness, and peace.

- That one makes you think, doesn't it? - I'm sorry to say this,

but a large number of pastors today have stayed stuck

in the mountain of religion.

- As we call it, the seven mountains. - Yes.

Religion, culture, entertainment, economy, education, right?

Uh, politics. They've stayed stuck on the mountain of religion.

They've alienated themselves from what's going on, but not me.

- Yes? - I have one last question.

How did you two meet? I know that's something people are curious about.

- See how beautiful she is? - Tell me about it.

- Let me fix your hair. - Let me tell you this.

My father was vice president of the church where her father was president,

and that's the church where I preach nowadays.

When I took over the church after the death of my father-in-law,

I said, I will not be pastor in a neighborhood church.

I'm going to put this church on the map nationally.

And so I changed the mindset and the philosophy of this church

from being a neighborhood church to being a nationwide church.

When I became a pastor in this church, it had 15,000 members

when I took over almost 10 years ago.

Today, it has over 100,000 members. Just to give you an idea,

my shows have been dubbed in English in over 120 nations all over the world.

Well, I'd like to invite you now to take a closer look at our structure.

For those of you watching this show...

...80% of the total sales of our products

does go towards funding this show.

The rise of Malafaia's empire...

...which began when he attached a publishing company

to his father-in-law's church,

was fueled by the economic development of Brazil.

Gospel Central. Cindy. How can I help you?

This Bible will guide you to a new place of power and victory in your life.

A new middle-class

started bringing a flow of money into Evangelical churches.

And pastors who were now becoming business owners,

influencers and even media oligarchs

began engaging in a cultural warfare...

Because children are afraid of sleeping at night because they're scared.

...where they would openly ask their followers

to carry Christians to positions of political power.

Today, we proudly present our Senator Marcelo Crivella.

My dear, you can't play around with your vote

for federal and state representatives.

No angel from Heaven is going to descend and change the laws.

We are here on this Earth to make a difference.

Together, we're building the history of our country!

And you can't remain silent.

The Supreme Federal Court has completely torn apart our Constitution,

disregarding the very principles upon which it was built.

If a pastor or a priest opening the Bible

and preaching against homosexual practice

is considered philosophical harassment, then the Bible would be labeled

as a homophobic book a thousand times no.

We evangelists and Catholics are

the absolute majority in this country.

Look at the name of the plane.

The press says I bought this airplane for $12 million.

This airplane cost $1.4 million and now it's worth about $800,000

because airplanes lose value.

What's today's agenda with the president?

Oh, we're gonna talk. Have a chat.

He enjoys talking to me because I'm always straightforward with him.

I don't go to meetings with the president to kiss his ass.

I question things. I speak my mind.

I tell him when I disagree. I won't see him and say, "Oh, President."

No.

Are you going to discuss André Mendonça's appointment

to the Supreme Court?

During Bolsonaro's campaign, way back then,

he said there should be an evangelist in the Supreme Court.

And I don't know if the president is going to take that risk.

Even if he's under pressure from all sides to keep that promise,

he'll be in a tight spot with the evangelical world.

Pastor Silas Malafaia, there with me.

- Okay? - Silas Malafaia.

- The car behind is also with you? - Okay, the one behind is with me.

Thank you.

See how easy it is to get in?

That's it.

No, I'm taking my mask off right now.

Keep the mask for when I'm around other people.

- How are you, Mr. President? - Have you caught it as well? Huh?

- Have you caught it? - I have.

- I've caught it too. - Have you? We both caught it.

Here. You too?

On his wedding day, we were waiting for the bride. I officiated his wedding.

I'll remind you of a little story. We were in a room,

and this dude comes to me, I say "this dude" because of our friendship.

Of course, the president, His Excellency and all that.

- 11 years. - Yeah, so he said this to me.

"Malafaia. I'm going to run for president."

And I said, "Are you crazy? You're running for president?"

"No, we have to change this country. Otherwise, the lefties

are going to destroy it all." I walked out of there saying,

"That guy is nuts. That guy."

- Was that in 2009? - Yes, but I can't remember what happened.

- It was on your wedding day, man. - On my wedding day.

So is the terribly evangelical Supreme Court judge coming?

He's coming. That's my commitment, isn't it?

He'll have to be evangelical. Many come looking for us,

bringing their wonderful resumes, but the first requirement

is being an evangelist and then obviously having

a legal background and doing a good job there.

But also don't forget, there's a mandatory step

before reaching the Supreme Court. It's called the Federal Senate.

He must be approved by the Federal Senate.

- Good afternoon, Your Honor. - Hello.

Could you please speak with us for a moment?

How are the discussions going? How are you being received?

The nomination of an Evangelical pastor to the Supreme Court

would open a new frontier in the establishment of a Christian state.

...to harm your chances.

How many reds are there today?

- Overall?

- About 60, I think. - 60? Okay, thanks.

But André Mendonça faces resistance in the Senate.

Bolsonaro told me, "Malafaia, it can't be helped.

It's not going to work. Andre is going to lose."

I said to him, "The one who will be left without words is not me. It's you.

I'd like to inform you that I won't back down,

because I didn't ask for this, nor did the evangelical leadership.

And in the evangelical world, I'll say your words can't be trusted.

What should you do? Put out a statement saying

he's your candidate. Tell your son to whisper

in the senators' ears that you will not compromise." That's all.

That's the only thing. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, Malafaia,

okay, Malafaia."

- And did he do that? - He put out a statement.

- And how did you lobby the senators? - Well, my dear, any senator today

from the majority vote wants the evangelical vote. All right?

We're 30%.

You're in an election, and an evangelical leader tells you,

"Do not vote for that guy, he's against us," and with arguments,

not just fallacious ones.

That's pretty bad, isn't it?

But, my friend, it's up to you. I'll remember this in the next election.

What have you done with the evangelical world

in the evangelical world? The decision is yours.

Feel free to do as you wish, my friend, but I won't make it easy for you.

In 2002, we were on two and a half of these rows.

- There were about 50 of us. - How many are there

- in the evangelical bench nowadays? - Nowadays, there are 142 of us.

So, now we have... Oh, my.

Now we have nine rows. That would be one, two, three, four,

five, six, seven, eight, nine rows.

We already have... It has changed a lot, thanks to the left.

An extraordinary change has occurred. Left-wing did this.

- Yeah? - Definitely.

When they confront us, we just keep growing stronger and stronger.

Oh, Jesus, let's go.

Folks, we need the congressmen in the Senate chamber.

Everyone, please.

Every congressman from the front rows that can go to the Senate, please go.

The voting at the Senate is about to begin, okay?

The tables have turned, but no thanks to the government.

Thanks to the evangelical groups who are working to lobby the Senate,

influencing decisions.

We've already tallied all the votes and have the results.

Therefore, I hereby declare the voting closed.

I hereby direct the General Secretariat of the Senate Bureau

to show the results on the scoreboard.

47 senators voted yes.

- Praise God. Praise God.

Praise God. Praise God.

Praise God!

Praise God! Thank you, Lord. We thank you, Lord.

Praise God! Praise God! Hallelujah.

My God, thank you so much, Jesus.

This is your work, Lord. Praise be to you. We've been praying and you answered.

Thank you for your blessing, for your guidance, and for this victory.

- Right now we wish... - Right now we wish...

- to consent... - to consent...

- that André Mendonça... - that André Mendonça...

- be God's instrument... - be God's instrument...

- at the Supreme Federal Court. - at the Supreme Federal Court.

- And we hereby declare... - And we hereby declare...

- that Brazil... - that Brazil...

- belong... - belong...

- to the Lord Jesus Christ. - to the Lord Jesus Christ.

- Amen and amen. - Amen.

What's wrong with the world?

What is the cause?

All of these evil things that when you put them together collectively,

they produce war and social tension.

Jesus said these things come from inside the man.

Now that is where communism and Christianity have a headlong clash,

because Karl Marx looked at the problems of the world

and he said, "Something's wrong."

And Karl Marx said that the problem of the world is social.

He said, "You solve the social problems of the world

"and Man will be a happy individual. And we can build a utopia on Earth.

"We can build a heaven on Earth." But Jesus said, "You're wrong."

"It's not social injustice,

"as bad as that may be, that is the heart of the problem.

"There's something deeper," said Jesus.

He said our problems originate from within...

and he called it S-I-N, sin.

No concrete force has had as great a power

to mobilize Brazilian politics in the last decades

as a ghost.

The ghost of communism.

When our new capital became ready to house democracy,

democracy would be chased away.

The isolation of Brasília and the interior of the country

ended up being ideal for the installment of a military dictatorship.

And the fear of the ghost gave them their excuse.

But in the fields and cities,

a dangerous idea began to spread

through the preachings of priests and pastors.

That the poor were poor not because of fate, let alone their sins,

but because society was purposely designed to keep them poor

in order to preserve the privileges of a few.

Oh God, our Father, look upon your children with mercy.

Feed the hungry, strengthen the weary, and fill every heart

with a hunger for justice and a longing to fulfill your will on this Earth.

We urgently need social justice, but for that to happen,

the workers themselves must awaken.

This broad Latin American movement,

Liberation Theology,

emphasized a compassionate Jesus

who challenged existing power structures.

If I give bread to a poor, starving person,

they call me a saint.

Instead, if I ask why they're hungry,

they call me a communist.

The American national security adviser, Henry Kissinger,

warned President Nixon that the Catholic Church

was no longer a reliable ally in the region.

In the midst of the Cold War, the wheels of Evangelical Christianity

were turning the opposite direction in the United States.

It was the dawn of the national prayer breakfasts

where televangelists and Evangelical lobbyists

met presidents and their cabinets

to rub shoulders,

even hold hands.

They were obsessed with the ghost

and so they talked about South America.

We found documents that show that a lobbying group known as the Family

launched English classes taught by missionaries

for Brazilian congressmen...

...who they might bring in one swoop...

to Christ and to capitalism.

Thousands of missionaries poured into the tropics.

The Vatican moved to suppress liberation theology...

...and Brasília, too, began to host their own national prayer breakfasts,

which came to unite evangelists and the dictatorship

from beginning to end of its entire two-decade reign.

It's hard to measure the effects of this offensive.

But what is certain is that Brazil became a laboratory

for a brutal form of capitalism and vertiginous social inequality...

where millions of people began to seek the hope they needed

in the Evangelical faith.

And nowhere was this growth more visible than at a mass gathering

summoned by a man known as the Protestant Pope...

...Billy Graham,

as part of his anti-communist crusades.

This is certainly the largest crowd

that has ever gathered to hear the Gospel in either North or South America

and one of the largest in the history of the world.

Millions of Christians around the world are praying for this moment.

- And I say, God bless Brazil. -

God bless Brazil!

The man is there. Here. Sorry.

- How is everyone? - Good morning, Mr. President. How are you?

Mr. President, do you know how long you've been imprisoned here?

- How long have I been here? - 571 days.

I counted one year and six months.

So I'd like to ask you to introduce yourself, sir.

I am Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva.

I'm the former president of the Republic of Brazil.

I've been imprisoned here at the federal police headquarters

for 571 days,

and I have been arrested as an attempt to stop me

from being elected president of the Republic.

For that reason, I am considered a political prisoner.

I am here to prove that those who accuse me are liars.

They are the ones who actually organized the gang that stole power in this country

with Dilma's impeachment and my arrest.

Jesus knew before Freud

that nothing that is hidden will not be made manifest.

Nor is there anything secret that will not be known and come to light.

In the dramaturgy of Brazilian politics,

the repressed often appears through leaked messages,

and this time they concern the investigation

of a vast corruption scheme during Lula's party's administration.

The messages leaked by a hacker showed this judge

who presided over the investigation,

conspiring with this state prosecutor to convict Lula on corruption charges,

deliberately taking the front runner

out of the presidential race in 2018.

The judge then became Bolsonaro's justice minister.

After the messages come to light,

Lula is released by the Supreme Court.

When he was sent to prison,

half the country felt robbed of the chance to vote for their candidate,

while the other half felt that he deserved it.

Now that he was out,

joy and anger had switched sides.

And the memory of his two terms as president,

where millions were lifted out of poverty,

prematurely launched the next presidential race

and put him ahead in every poll.

How does that happen? How is it even possible for someone

to run the PT while in prison?

Are you really going to tell me that guy like this,

when he was president and had the power in his hands, had nothing to do

with this corruption? That's a joke.

I'm going to grab some coffee. That's a joke. This is outrageous.

This is a vanity show. This is nothing but a vanity show

from the minister.

What do you think is going to happen in 2022?

He's going to lose the election. You know why?

He's screwed in the evangelical world. Completely screwed.

You can quote me on that.

And there's over 30... We're over 30% of the population.

It's not going to work for him.

"Pastor, I'm certain Lula will never be president of Brazil again.

God will do something that will change the course of history in our country.

Just wait and see."

"Peace, Pastor. God bless you."

"May other influential leaders speak up on the matter."

"Lula would be in prison had he not paid off most of the STF judges."

See? There are over a thousand.

Let's go, mito! Yeah!

They got Lula out of jail and made him eligible to run for president

through fraud.

They'll have to show us a clear and reliable way

to ensure clean elections.

If they fail to do so, we will face serious problems next year.

I'll gladly hand over the presidential sash to anyone

who beats me at the ballot box fair and square, but not through fraud.

Bolsonaro made it clear that he would call into question

any outcome of the next election

where he was not the winner.

I imagine he was aware of the dark forces he was awakening

when he began to cast doubt on the country's voting system.

That's the first step in any manual on how to kill democracy.

We cannot tolerate attacks on democracy

or the erosion of democratic values.

Freedom of expression is not freedom of aggression.

Democracy is not anarchy.

Otherwise, we wouldn't have our Constitution.

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes

threatens Bolsonaro's eligibility for re-election

by including him in an investigation of an illegal disinformation campaign.

War was declared.

Because freedom of expression isn't about what's right.

It's about our right to speak, to voice our opinions,

regardless of how outlandish they might seem to others.

Like Donald Trump, he gets to say whatever nonsense he wants.

I was just in America inaugurating a church.

He came in and said, "On my first day as president,

I'm going to stop transgender people from joining the armed forces."

This is what freedom of expression is all about.

Say it if you want. The people are going to judge you.

I'm just showing you what democracy is. It's your right to say whatever you want,

and the people will judge you, saying, "I don't want that person

because I don't stand for that." That is democracy.

But democracy isn't just about the will of the majority.

- No. - It's about protecting the rights

- of minorities. - Democracy is truly the will

of the absolute majority.

I do not intend to step outside the pitch to question those authorities.

But I honestly believe that the moment is approaching.

If the people of Sao Paulo think I should show up at Paulista Avenue

two or three Sundays from now, I will gladly do it.

And it would be one more message to those who have the audacity to stand on

the sidelines of our Constitution.

Oh, Father, we thank thee for the President's life,

and we ask thee that thy blessing be upon him, guiding his decisions...

The fact that we hold the military coup in our recent memory

allows Bolsonaro to speak between the lines.

No tanks have ever been deployed

on the Esplanade of ministries since the redemocratization.

And Brazilians understood what he was implying.

That the armed forces could intervene to protect him.

Or even to stop the next election from happening.

If they believed, the people would allow it.

So he calls his supporters to a demonstration.

A spiritual assembly

to launch an insurrection against the rule of law.

This entire escalation in rhetoric is unfolding,

just as the poll show Bolsonaro is experiencing the lowest point

of his presidency.

Lula is currently leading the voting intentions

in all scenarios of the upcoming presidential race.

Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God!

All the judges in the Supreme Court are corrupt.

They must be imprisoned, or worse, decapitated.

And the Lord said that at the end of times,

there would be war, plague, and famine.

That could be a prelude marking the day of Jesus' return.

- For our honor! - For our honor!

- For our God! - For our God!

For a new independence of Brazil!

For a new independence of Brazil!

Look, my people! Look up at the sky!

Independence! Independence!

Look who's coming onto the scene, my people!

Our president, Jair Bolsonaro, is arriving, people!

Look up, he is here!

No dictator in a toga, no matter how powerful

they may think they are, shall ever overthrow a president

who was rightfully elected by the people.

God shall overthrow those people!

We shall march towards progress, freedom, and a blessed life for all.

God bless everyone!

God never once told Israel,

"Stay home, I will fight for you."

He always said, "Go and fight for I will be with you through it all."

Let's look at that moment again.

Here, Bolsonaro looks at Malafaia for approval.

And Malafaia seemed somehow to know exactly what the president will say.

Go and fight for I will be with you through it all.

We cannot allow one person to impose

their own will upon everyone else.

The time has come for us to tell all these people

that things are going to be different from now on.

Time to kick out Alexandre de Moraes.

Stop being a bastard.

Any decision from Mr. Alexandre de Moraes,

I as president will no longer comply with.

I authorize it! I authorize it!

I authorize it! I authorize it!

I authorize it!

Over the centuries that Christians waited for Jesus' return,

their interpretations of the apocalypse transformed.

Many, in the 19th century, believed that He would arrive in glory

only after 1,000 years of peace.

So the harder one worked to improve the world

and relieve human suffering,

the faster His return might come.

But in 1827,

a young Irish pastor, John Nelson Darby,

flipped this idea.

Never would I have imagined his profound effect on Brazilian politics.

Shaken by the Enlightenment,

Darby read the Book of Revelation as nobody had before,

as rationally and literally as he could.

He thought it made perfect sense

for this depraved world to face God's final wrath.

Things would just keep getting worse and worse

until the apocalypse arrived.

So there was no real point in hoping and working for peace.

His teachings electrified Evangelical thought,

creating a fundamentalist movement

that believed that the worse things get on earth,

the faster Jesus will return.

But the Bible's Book of Revelation, where Darby found his vision,

is just one among many early apocalyptic Christian texts.

These books, which were burned and buried, didn't talk about Judgment Day,

in which heretics would burn in hell,

but about how God's love is infinite

and available to everyone.

In the last election, Bolsonaro was the outsider,

the underdog,

a vessel of the Lord.

But in this new race, he's taken on a different persona,

one who wields power,

the power of God.

Our President of the Republic

was placed there by God.

The party of darkness is not coming back ever.

We extend our hands to bless and protect Jair Messias Bolsonaro.

And while the left is proposing minor social reforms

within a flawed capitalist system,

the right is speaking at a totally different level.

They invoke a type of revolutionary fervor

affirming God's supremacy

and holding war.

Only the church with its unwavering faith can embrace this war.

This war is ours, this war is yours.

So this is a spiritual process.

We are fighting against darkness, and no one should be fooled into thinking

they can provoke it without consequences.

Because there are 33 million people who have nothing to eat,

there are 105 million people across the country who are struggling

with food insecurity every single day.

There are demons being called God.

And there are honest people being called demons.

Because there are people who aren't seeking the church

for genuine faith or spiritual guidance.

They're using it as a political state to push their own agenda.

I, Luis Ignacio Luna da Silva, stand by the secular state.

And I say that with all the confidence of a man who believes in God.

When I want to talk to God, I don't need a priest or a pastor.

I can simply lock myself in a room, speak to him for as many hours as I want,

and I don't have to ask for anyone's permission or rely on

anyone's favor to do so.

Go wash that booze-soaked mouth of yours and stop talking nonsense, man.

Who told you that pastors and priests are intermediaries between God and man?

The one mediator between God and man is Jesus Christ, 1 Timothy 2:5.

"May God deliver us from this man who has no moral integrity."

- We're about to start. And three, two... - All right.

Pastor Silas Malafaia has, well, you all know

he's a highly controversial figure with all the things he said and all that,

but he's also a cancer to the gospel.

Why? Because when he resorts to using the kind of hostility he does,

constantly harassing others, aggressively targeting them

and trying to shut them down in such a hateful, venomous,

and malicious manner, people who aren't evangelical

might see that behavior and assume that all evangelical leaders

are using similar tactics.

Let me find it for you. I was a preacher for 25 years

in a democratic country. Unexpectedly, I learned that

the institution I gave 25 years of my life to

wrote a letter ordering my dismissal

for political reasons.

Why is the evangelical vote so sought after nowadays? Because today,

Bolsonarism has, essentially, taken over the church for themselves.

- Mm-hmm, yes. - Now, this is the thing.

Either we win the election or dictatorship takes over.

Now here's the deal. Say whatever they need to hear

- to vote for Lula. - That's what I've been saying.

Forget this "Oh, we can't choose Lula. We must have." Now the thing is,

we've got to push the old man into the spotlight.

- That's it, man. - Show him over there

with that beautiful face, just like this.

- I'm here with President Lula. - Yes.

- That's it. - I am a pastor.

God bless you. And those weird tongues like Michelle does.

- That's it. - That's it.

It will make a difference. So there's Malafaia.

Left wing, nut job, drunkard. And then there's us.

President Lula. Jesus loves the drunkard.

It's not a good message with a sense of hatred.

- Exactly. - President Lula.

- Jesus loves. - Jesus loves.

Those who are the LGBTQIA+. The Jesus I know,

President Lula, is not Malafia's Jesus.

- You know what the big question is, Paolo? - Not the Jesus on Bolsonaro's mouth.

Brazil will go back to worshipping Jesus during your government.

With nearly 30% of precincts reporting,

Jair Bolsonaro is leading with 51% of the votes,

while Lula follows closely behind with 48.94% of the ballot votes.

In the first round,

Bolsonaro's camp outperforms all expectations,

not only forcing a runoff against Lula,

but shifting the makeup of Congress so far to the right

that a Bolsonaro presidency would face few constraints.

I find myself asking,

how would our theocracy look?

In the first sketches of Brasília,

next to the presidential palace,

they drew a church

just like in all colonial Brazilian towns.

But later, they decided to erase it,

to leave the central plaza only with the three branches of power,

each on one side of a perfect triangle.

Representing equality and balance.

It was also the separation between church and state,

between what is private and what is public.

That allowed Brazil,

with all its deep contradictions,

to become a promise of the future,

a promise of a utopia yet to unfold.

Mr. President, could you explain why Bolsonaro

has surpassed you in the evangelical segment in the polls

over the past few months?

Look, I believe it's because he's been working that segment

like no one else has before.

There are pastors who threaten people who don't vote for Bolsonaro.

- Firing guns in churches. - Yeah, these days they're even firing guns

in churches. You know, things are getting violent.

There's just so much pressure.

What do you think drives people

- to embrace the evangelical faith? - I always share a story from you.

When I was a trade union leader...

a worker is unemployed. He goes to the union.

And the union keeps saying, look, man, we need to get organized in the factory.

You know, especially when we're organized, we're going to have to strike, fight,

and protest, because that's the only way to stand up against capitalism

and everything it stands for.

So when the guy says, damn it, I only came here because I lost my job,

and now this guy wants me to start a revolution?

And then the guy leaves the union and goes to the Catholic Church.

And when he walks in, the priest says, "Yes, my son.

Yes, my son, you must suffer on Earth to gain the kingdom of heaven."

That's life. Heaven belongs to the poor. Yada-yada.

So the guy's like, "Damn it, I came here to say I'm unemployed."

And then the guy desperate turns to the church

that preaches prosperity theology. And then the guy hears two things.

The problem is the devil and the solution is Jesus.

It's so simple.

You're unemployed because the devil has entered your life.

But Jesus will fix it for you.

So when Jesus comes into your life, you...

And the guy leaves feeling so good, thinking, "Damn, someone finally told me

I have a chance."

My theory is that what led

to the failure of socialism was its rejection of religion.

You know, that is my theory.

Maybe some orthodox communists wouldn't accept my theory,

but you can't simply disregard the values that people believe in.

Are you planning to campaign in the churches?

I don't typically campaign like that.

Don't ask me to go to a church to campaign. I won't go.

- I go to church to pray. - You've never done that?

Never. No, I won't campaign there. It goes against my political principles.

Did you vote for President Bolsonaro?

Yes, I did.

- Will you vote for him again? - I'll keep voting for him.

Because he's a man of God, you know? I mean, that's my point of view,

because everyone... Not that Lula's not a man of God.

Lula's also a man of God. But he has his own values.

- What is Lula's faith? - Yeah, he's a practitioner of candomblé.

- He's not Catholic? - No, he's not a Catholic.

President Lula, a Catholic?

He never was, was he? There, he's received the Sword of Xangô

as people from Bahia. We know that stuff, right?

- Right. - Look it up. President Lula receiving

the Sword of Xangô.

Before voting for Bolsonaro, I was thinking of voting for him.

When I saw that, I changed my mind right away.

Which president do you hope will win?

- Which one? - Bolsonaro.

- Oh, she's for Lula. - That's a lie.

I'm for Bolsonaro.

She's for Lula. Tell her. You can say it.

- No problem. - Okay. I hope Lula wins.

I hope he wins the election, but he won't. Not if he doesn't vote

for that proposition to...

- Which one? - About...

- The restrooms. I wouldn't like it. - But he's not just about that.

- No way. - Right, sweetheart?

- Yes, but I'd like him to win. - And Lula, he has solid proposals

for the country. There are good things he can do for the country.

I vote for him, but because of the gospel. So that's why it influenced my...

Right? What will really influence my vote is my religion.

We've been seeing how many lies are being spread across the internet

a series of posts have been circulating, spreading false information...

...that claims Lula, if elected, would persecute Christians

and shut down churches.

Do we really have to keep explaining that it's not Satanism.

It's absolutely preposterous. This is grotesque.

This debate is changing the way people are voting.

Faced with the possibility of losing the election,

Lula decides to engage with Christians on their own terms.

Almighty God and eternal Father, we humbly ask that your boundless mercy

be poured out upon the life of Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva.

Oh, Father, may your son govern with great wisdom

and unwavering intelligence, always guided by your love and grace.

We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Lord Jesus, make Lula be a better president

than the one we have now.

Make it so there will be more schools, more love, more life,

and no more lies guarding our path forward.

In a sign of how Brazil's political landscape has changed,

Lula writes an open letter to Evangelicals,

saying that he won't try to change

the laws that forbid abortion in Brazil,

and that he will respect religious freedom.

Twenty years earlier, in order to be elected,

he wrote a similar letter, but to bankers.

Every election, we see an overwhelming number of lies

throughout this country,

forcing us to resort to writing letters.

There are things that I find hard to believe any human could accept.

Yet they say them, and people actually believe it.

Now they've started this talk about all-gender restrooms.

People, I have a family. I have a daughter, granddaughters,

and I have a great-granddaughter.

It surely must have come straight from the depths of Satan's mind,

this idea of unisex restrooms.

Lula holds a meeting with evangelical pastors.

My dear, I feel sorry for them.

This is when the race begins with Bolsonaro.

What has he stood for? He has always stood up for the same things

we stand up for, and everyone knows that.

So this guy who just showed up in our community with this rhetoric,

somewhat evangelical in nature, because this is where we'll take

those people down.

Don't come here or we'll crush them.

What about the evangelical bench?

What behavior do you expect from them in case Lula wins

- or Bolsonaro wins? - If Lula wins,

a large portion of them will turn into opposition.

Some of them will align

due to undisclosed and unspoken interests.

Some will align, but the majority won't because they know the base

will crush them and we'll be here to crush them too.

No mercy, calling them traitors.

And now they are afraid.

We need to step away from the spot and look at the bird's eye view.

What's that?

I'll film inconspicuously.

We have every reason to have that confidence.

- How bizarre. - Today, on Election Day

the 30th, the Federal Highway Police are seizing motorcycles and cars.

There's a Federal Highway Police roadblock here at the entrance to Cuite.

And they're stopping some people from being able to go and cast their vote.

It seems orchestrated.

Slow down. Slow down. Look over there.

Those guys with the PT flag. The guys with the PT flag

just stopped that car. Look.

Do not support ex-convicts.

Do not assist former prisoners in any way.

Amen?

No way, the federal police ripped the sticker from your car?

He took the flag. He ordered me to take the Lula flag down.

What the federal highway police did was an attempted coup.

How will that impact the result of the election?

What's at stake here is the defeat of democracy itself

in the course of this election. That is unheard of.

Oh, Lula has to win.

That Bolsonaro is despicable.

It's such a horrible thing, for the love of God.

If there is a God in heaven and Jesus Christ on Earth,

then the people, Lula, must win this election for the love of God.

Father, we cry out to you. God. Seeking your mercy and guidance.

Father, all of Brazil, Lord, we place ourselves in your hands,

asking for your protection.

Father, this entire nation,

Lord, we place it in your hands, trusting in your strength.

Bolsonaro is leading with 56.68% of the ballot votes,

while Lula, of the Workers' Party, is...

One of the sides is completely confident in their victory.

Bolsonaro has 50.8% or 50.9% of the ballot votes,

while Lula has 49.14% of the ballot votes.

At this point, over half of the precincts have reported.

Bolsonaro has 50.30% of the votes.

Lula now leads Bolsonaro with 51.01% of the votes.

The electoral court has just confirmed

Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva of the PT as winner in the race

- for the presidency of the Republic.

Lula! Lula!

Lula, goddamn it!

- Lula! - He won!

Lula!

Luis Ignacio Lula de Silva,

you won this election.

And we'll reluctantly have to accept that you won this fraudulent election

which was fueled by fake news.

Amen!

Amen!

- Praise God. Hallelujah, Jesus. - Keep your hands up. Stay strong.

My God, Father, in Jesus' name, we ask you for your guidance and strength.

My God, this is our last plea. We ask for your intervention.

Come visit our president now, and he will bring the answer we all need.

We will hear, my God, a victory song right here,

filling this place with joy and triumph.

This nation belongs to you, Father.

These people...

Have you heard of that madman who lit a lantern

in the bright morning hours,

ran to the marketplace and asked,

"Where is God?"

As people laughed, he answered.

"I will tell you."

"We have killed him, you and I.

We are his murderers.

The holiest and most powerful the world had

bled under our knives.

But how did we do this?

What were we doing when we unchained the earth from its sun?"

They looked back at him

in astonishment.

"I have come too early," he said.

"My time is not yet."

I don't know if I'm the madman or one of those listening to him,

but I used to think that with time, we'd no longer rely on religion.

Now I see how arrogant that idea was.

For a time, revolutions tended to overthrow a king

anointed by God to create a secular society

where power was vested in the people.

Lately, they seem to be going in the opposite direction.

Protesters are setting things on fire.

Supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro

are staging undemocratic demonstrations

across 20 states calling for military intervention

and urging civil resistance against the election results.

And more than 20 hours after Lula's victory in the election

was officially confirmed, President Bolsonaro has yet

to acknowledge his defeat.

Might as well get this over with.

The current wave of popular demonstrations arises from widespread outrage

and a deep sense of injustice over the entire electoral process.

It is a great honor to be the leader of millions of Brazilians who,

like myself, are committed to economic freedom, religious freedom,

freedom of expression, unwavering honesty, and proudly uphold

the green and yellow colors of our national flag.

- Thank you very much. - Mr. President,

- will you officially concede defeat? - Do you recognize Lula's victory?

Are you going to challenge the election results?

What do you say to your supporters still protesting?

Will you cooperate with the transition of power?

Is this your last statement as president?

The military welcomed Bolsonaro's supporters

who camped right outside their bases.

Backed by generals and financed by business executives,

these protected territories become insurrectionist plotting grounds.

- General words. - We're in the rain, in the cold.

I know, ma'am, okay? So take it easy.

You have to wait a while, okay? Don't lose your faith, okay?

- No, we won't. - That's all I can tell you for now.

We're not giving up.

Armed Forces! S.O.S.! Armed Forces! S.O.S.!

Armed Forces! S.O.S.! Armed Forces!

Mr. President Jair Messias Bolsonaro, you and only you are

the lawful president in office.

You have the authority to call in the armed forces and take action

to restore order.

President Bolsonaro, how will you be remembered in history?

As absent? As a coward? Or someone who exercises their legal power

as guaranteed by the Constitution?

But Bolsonaro leaves for Orlando without saying anything.

I disagreed with him when he went to America.

A true leader stays, pays the price, goes to jail or not.

Just look at Lula. All the signs pointed to him

ending up in jail. Did he run away? No.

That's what a leader looks like.

So for me, the guy running off to America, I didn't agree.

I will never agree with that. Stay and face it. Take the hit.

The demonstration in Brazil shouldn't take place

in front of the Army HQ. It should be held in front of

the National Congress, which represents the people.

No one will stop the Brazilian people.

Just look at the people marching.

Look, the Esplanade of Ministries is about to be taken over.

And we're going to take Brazil back.

It has to be this way. It has to be done with force.

Forget Dubai, forget Paris, and forget any other trip

I've ever taken in my life.

None of them compare to this day, the one I've dreamed about.

For so long, the day we would take over the Esplanade.

We are like termites, relentlessly chewing through marble.

People, they opened it. They opened the door.

- Look, the door is wide open.

Everyone, people are rushing into the conference. Look, they opened it.

- They didn't have a choice. - Look at that.

Let's rush in there. Come on.

Green and yellow are the colors of Brazil's flag.

Let's take congress back.

You can throw bombs or whatever at us. We're coming for you.

We're witnessing history, my brother, happening right here,

right in front of us.

So that's it. The people have seen the National Congress.

On January 8th, 2023, we enter the Three Powers Palace.

Look, we won. Good has triumphed over evil.

- Good has conquered evil. - We did it!

We have taken over the Congress. Freedom. Freedom.

We have broken into the Supreme Court!

Hey, Rubino! Rubino! Go to the Supreme Court!

Where are you, Alexandre de Moraes, you son of a bitch?

We're inside the STF! Where's the resistance?

Xandão's desk!

This is my hero. I'm in his home. Look. In our home. Look.

The farce is finally over. Now we're leaving here alongside the army.

And what we're asking for is military intervention. Simple as that.

- For you! For you! For you! - This is for us, people.

This is for us.

Thank God, this is for all the honor and glory

of our Lord Jehovah Jireh,

the Almighty Eternal. This is it.

Jair Messias Bolsonaro, you will return to this nation to resume your government

because the darkness has to retreat

and everyone will know that God is the Lord.

If these ruins could speak, perhaps they could respond.

That democracy can be the supreme form of generosity.

It announces the determination to share existence with the enemy.

It is incredible that the human species should have arrived

at such a paradoxical inattitude.

So beautiful.

So acrobatic.

So fragile.

No wonder that the same humanity

should soon appear anxious to get rid of it.

As it is a discipline too difficult to take firm root on earth.

Maybe a future apocalypse can reveal that imperfect as they have been,

these halls were built not to impose the will of the many

or the will of God,

but to protect what is vulnerable from brute force.

In Greek, apokálypsis does not mean the end of the world

but rather, an unveiling,

a revelation,

a chance to open our eyes.