The Rise of Anti-System Political Leaders in Brazil:

A Case Study of Kim Kataguiri

Abstract

The study analyzes the rise of Kim Kataguiri in the Brazilian political scene. The aim is to understand how the decline of neoliberalism created a crisis of representation, boosting populist leaders who use social media to mobilize voters. In Brazil, this lack of perception of democracy erupted during the June 2013 protests and culminated in the rise of anti-establishment figures like Kim. Through the Free Brazil Movement (MBL), he capitalized on this conjuncture with an anti-establishment rhetoric. His electoral success in 2018 and 2022 demonstrates the effectiveness of the strategy in the digital era, where politics becomes increasingly personalized and emotional. The central question is to what extent Kim is truly anti-establishment or whether his populist discourse is merely a performance to elevate himself as an influential public figure in the new political landscape that has emerged in Brazil over the past 10 years.

Keywords: Kim; neoliberalism; democracy; anti-system; June Protests.