Discursive struggles over race and sexuality in contemporary Brazil: the political rhetoric of the far-right in focus

Abstract

This article analyzes the discursive strategies of Bolsonarism in Brazil in comparison with Trumpism in the United States, investigating how narratives of fear, resentment, and morality are mobilized to consolidate political hegemonies. The study draws on the perspective of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, highlighting concepts such as hegemony, antagonism, and discursive articulation in the analysis of the construction of political meanings in contexts of polarization and social exclusion. The research adopts a methodology of bibliographic review and documentary analysis, combining academic, journalistic, and institutional sources. Concepts such as structural racism, digital echo chambers, disinformation, and the political agency of Black populations were employed, based on authors such as Abdias do Nascimento, Lélia Gonzalez, Silvio de Almeida, Nego Bispo, as well as studies on digital populism (Kalil, 2018; Cunha, 2021; Cesarino, 2020; Recuero & Gruzd, 2019). The results indicate that Bolsonarism and Trumpism share convergent discursive strategies, centered on the creation of moral, racial, and cultural antagonisms, amplified through segmented digital platforms.