The Political Performance in Digital Media: Empowerment of Stereotypes and Erasure of Indigenous Peoples

Abstract

Considering Brazil's historical and cultural context, it is evident that colonization has deeply impacted and continues to shape Brazilian society. With the rise of digital media and easy access to information, discourses can be manipulated and disseminated to either harm or promote a particular ethnicity, worldview, or epistemology. Indigenous peoples have endured various forms of violence that go beyond dehumanization, and even today, they remain victims of discourses and policies that aim to erase or render their cultures and experiences invisible. This study seeks to identify how the statements made by former president Jair Bolsonaro regarding the indigenous population contribute to stereotyping and discrimination. Key concepts such as the coloniality of power (Quijano, 1992; 2005) and truth games (Carvalho; Sargentini, 2021), along with other relevant terms, will be utilized to analyze this relationship. These discussions are often present within academia but rarely transcend the university bubble. The theoretical framework developed will guide the analysis of news articles that reflect Bolsonaro's statements, serving as the materialization of the proposed axiom. In doing so, this research aims to highlight the persistence of colonial discourses in contemporary political contexts and their impact on the visibility and rights of indigenous peoples in Brazil.