Eduardo Leite needs to choose a side: either Lula/Alckmin, or fascism.

By Jeferson Miola, for 247 

The Workers' Party (PT) in Rio Grande do Sul urged its members to redouble their efforts to secure the victory of the former president in the state on October 30th, fighting against fascism, hunger, and the destruction spurred by Bolsonaro.

The Workers' Party (PT) considers it essential to wage a "relentless fight" against Bolsonaro at the national level and against his representative in the race for governor of the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Therefore, the Party's resolution is categorical in proclaiming to its members... no votes for Onyx Lorenzoni, which is the ultimate expression of hatred, intolerance, and political violence.

Eduardo Leite's announced position of [false] "neutrality" in the face of eloquent threats to democracy contradicts the dignified and decent stance of intellectuals, economists, and historical leaders of the PSDB.

FHC and other PSDB leaders unconditionally joined the anti-fascist and pro-democracy movement represented by the Lula/Alckmin candidacy to pull Brazil out of the precipice and barbarity in which it finds itself.

This historic moment demands a clear, transparent, and, above all, honest stance from political leaders.

At this crossroads between democracy and fascism, there is no room for sitting on the fence: either you are on the side of democracy and life with Lula/Alckmin; or, by proclaiming a false neutrality, you will be on the side of authoritarianism and fascism.

In this context, candidate Eduardo Leite would be disrespectful to the people of Rio Grande do Sul and unworthy of receiving their vote if he did not state loudly and clearly which side of history he is on, with a capital “H”.

In 2018, Leite supported Bolsonaro against the Workers' Party candidate Fernando Haddad, saying that the PT's election to the presidency would do "more harm to the country."

And today, four years after the tremendous "harm to the country" and to Rio Grande do Sul caused by the government of Onyx and Bolsonaro, what does Eduardo Leite have to say?

Leite, in the end, will he reveal his side of the story? Or does he prefer to remain imprisoned by his atavistic and petty anti-PT (Workers' Party) hatred, of such toxic proportions that it blinds his vision and mortifies his soul?

The question that Eduardo Leite must answer, clearly and objectively, is: does he, in the end, have an unconditional commitment to democracy, to deserve the votes of anti-fascists?

By nurturing a morbid anti-PT sentiment, Leite will be contributing – consciously or unconsciously – to further entrench fascist ideology in society. Which, in this specific case, means playing into Bolsonaro's hands…

Eduardo Leite needs to choose a side: it's either Lula/Alckmin, or it's fascism. There's no room for sitting on the fence.

It's hard to imagine that Leite is so calculating and cold as to feel absolved from taking a position between Lula and barbarism because he knows that the PT members, as the democrats and dignified people they are, will never serve as a stepping stone for an abject representative of Bolsonaro to rise to power in Rio Grande do Sul.

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