Far-Right life coach taking Brazil by storm after rival smashes chair over his head in TV debate

[ad_1]

Dawisson Belem Lopes, a political scientist at Minas Gerais Federal University, describes Mr Marcal as a “very deft, truly talented” political operator and the “future of Brazilian politics”. He added: “As someone who believes in democratic institutions and the rule of law, I find that very disturbing.”

Before the debate, Mr Marcal had surged into a three-way tie with leftist challenger Guilherme Boulos and the conservative incumbent Ricardo Nunes. Mr Datena, who insists he does not regret his violent assault, was trailing several points behind them.

Online self-help courses Preaching a peculiar brand of Christianity that equates material success with piousness, he blends the style of a TV evangelist with the economic libertarianism of Argentina’s Javier Milei and the iron fist approach to crime of El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele. Mr Marcal has long offered online self-help courses, some costing as much as £4,000, based on his “IP Method”, supposedly based on neuroscience.

Covering everything from “mental blocks” to entrepreneurship, they have allowed him to amass an estimated personal fortune of £20 million. In one typical blockbusting course, titled “High Performance, 5Ps”, he promises to help customers achieve a “life of abundance” by focusing on “purpose, people, process, productivity and prosperity”.

Yet Mr Marcal has a chequered history. He was convicted in 2010 for participating in a racket to hack online bank accounts, but then ran out the clock during the appeals process to avoid prison.

He first made national headlines in Brazil in 2022, when he led dozens of unprepared followers up one of Brazil’s tallest mountains, the 8,000ft Pico dos Marins, in a raging storm. The bedraggled group eventually had to be rescued and prosecutors even briefly opened an “attempted murder” probe into Mr Marçal. He insists he did not force anyone to follow him on the expedition.

In his mayoral run, he is promising to turbocharge the economy of “São Paulo 2.0”, rid the city of crack addicts and crime, and build the world’s tallest skyscraper but, sceptics note, without explaining how.

[ad_1]

Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=66f006c15fd041138ea6ccd95d87cfed&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fworld-news%2F2024%2F09%2F22%2Ffar-right-influencer-popularity-soars-hit-head-chair-debate%2F&c=7964217633739292143&mkt=en-us Author : Publish date : 2024-09-22 00:29:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source .

Far-Right life coach taking Brazil by storm after rival smashes chair over his head in TV debate

Vietnam’s top leader Lam to visit US and Cuba this week

Forest fires rage in South America

Forest fires rage in South America

Meet Abbie Stockard: Alabama’s Trailblazing Miss America 2025!

U.S. Pushes Japan and South Korea to Invest in $44 Billion Alaska Gas Project

Top 10 Poorest States in the U.S. – Friends Committee On National Legislation

Canada and Mexico Are Sending Teams to Help California Fight the Fires – The New York Times

This Little-Known Colorado National Park Town Has North America’s Highest Concentration Of Archaeological Sites – TheTravel

Can Puerto Ricans vote for US president in 2024? See how many live in Texas – Austin American-Statesman

United States Completes Maritime Vessel Upgrades with SKNDF – USEmbassy.gov

“They Can Harass Us Because of the Laws” – Human Rights Watch

America Wants a God – The New York Times

American Announces New Leadership for Latin America and the Caribbean – Aeroflap

Categories

Archives