Brazilian footballer Dani Alves has broken the silence he has maintained during the controversial elections in his native country. Once he confirmed the victory of far right Jair Bolsonaro, he asked the candidate to rectify some of the atrocities he uttered during his campaign.
" May God bless our Brazil , our people and especially our president ... That he can rectify some things that have been said in his campaign and that he can treat people as human beings , regardless of sexual oreintation, social class or anything else, "wrote Dani Alves on his social media profiles.
He continued by asking Bolsonaro to honour the country's motto, "Order and Progress". Alves added, "May he use his power for a cultural , economic and, above all, existential evolution , that the motto of our flag addresses his mandate and that, once and for all, we are a country reflected by the riches of its land and its people . Peace and love for our people."
Ever present on social media, Dani Alves had previously kept silent on the issue, choosing to remain neutral, unlike other Brazilian footballers, who have stated their positions either for or against the controversial candidate.
Now, with the victory of Jair Bolsonaro confirmed, Alves has broken his silence, with this request for sanity for a president based his victory on a speech plagued with hatred made up with the promise of security .
Those in favor of the controversial candidate include former players like Ronaldinho and Rivaldo, as well as active players such as Felipe Melo and Gabriel Jesus; something that has earned them strong criticism both inside and outside of their country.
Bolsonaro's tactics were profoundly racist and classicist from the outset, something they seem to have forgotten now they count their money by the millions.
Other footballers and former Brazilian footballers have been more critical of Bolsonaro. Some, like Juninho Pernambuco, gravely criticised those, who like him, left humble neighborhoods and now support Bolsonaro.