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The Return of the Living Dead Presidents
Populist leaders insist on coming back for more, but people aren’t stupid.
When Brazil’s Lula Da Silva showed up at his bunker for his victorious election night a few weeks ago, he was wearing a hat that said “CFK 2023”.
For those not following South American politics, it’s a direct reference to Argentina’s former president (2007–2015) Cristina Fernández de Kircher, the widow of former president Néstor Kirchner (2003–2007) and current leader of Argentina’s largest populist movement.
Lula was sending a message to his followers: Cristina is coming back, and that will solidify the return of the South American populist front, very strong on this side of the Panama Canal about a decade ago.
It might look like it, from where Lula was standing. But I doubt CFK will make a victorious return.
To me, she looks much more like a Trump these days. The leader of a radical faction of a conservative party, too populist and too tied to past failures to have a chance at a win.
The events held by Trump and CFK this week looked more like a zombie movies than the victorious return of a beloved leader.
