Echoing Trump, Brazil's President Prepares for Election Loss by Declaring Vote Rigged

Standing atop a trailer with the Atlantic Ocean behind him, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro complained to a crowd of roaring supporters about a vast conspiracy against him.

Two women carried a banner calling on the armed forces to "protect our constitution, our liberty and our elections." Demonstrators griped about "fake news" and the journalists who had slandered their candidate.

Bolsonaro had summoned tens of thousands of his supporters to this city's signature Copacabana beach Wednesday to protest what he insisted was a rigged vote.

Never mind that the election hasn't actually taken place yet. […]

"We have learned the hard way over the years to listen to these kinds of leaders when they tell us what they're going to do," said Brian Winter, vice president for policy at the Council of the Americas, who predicted that Brazil is headed for "an institutional crisis."

With the president and his family members facing a number of corruption investigations, Winter said, "Bolsonaro has a lot to lose."…

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