Erica Malunguinho

Da Silva ran for congress on a platform with five major features. The first feature was political renewal. Although da Silva enjoyed grassroots work, she made it known that she saw politics in her future. She believed that the present was the time to create a new political narrative that went against the same groups being represented in politics. She understood that she had a responsibility in relation to the arts, education, LGBTQ, and black movements to focus on the intersectionalities within the framework of institutional policy.[8]

The second feature of her platform was "enlargement of the debate." Knowing that politics is interrelated to people's everyday lives, she promoted the connection of civil society to politics. She believed that people tend to forget that politics is created by, and has impacts on real people, some of whom have been marginalized throughout history through political institutions. She believed that the political process has dehumanized itself to the point that people do not realize that the person representing them is a real person—not just a machine. She thought that people needed to consider politics as closer to them than they tended to think.[8]

The third feature was centered on the idea of the Quilombo. Da Silva is the founder of the urban quilombo Aparelha Luzia. The idea of a quilombo as a social institution and an organized self-managed society was one of the major foundations of her candidacy. She believed that quilombos should be thought of as political spaces in order to build understanding and deconstruct the popular narratives of those who have been marginalized. Quilombos can bring people together to collaborate and write their own story.[8]

The fourth feature is Fundamental Rights. Da Silva believed that today's political representatives lack the bravery and motivation needed in order to understand the inequalities and practices of marginalization based on race, gender, and class. As a result, we need politicians who are willing to fight for those who are excluded in today's society. Da Silva has been willing to focus on this systematic oppression, and made it a pillar in her campaign. She would promote the idea of pushing the limits in government in the fields of mobility, economy, health, education, culture, media, and religious freedom in order to advocate for the people who have historically, and continue to be, left out of the political discussion.[8]

The fifth and final feature is Political Challenges. As a black, transgender woman, da Silva realized that putting yourself into politics is not as simple as it seems. Nonetheless, she knew it was something that needs to be done. She faced a bench that is representative of the majority population, (white, heterosexual, cisgender men) along with those who have historically wielded power, and she hoped to propose a new outlook on society and a new way of doing politics.[8]

Da Silva states that she faces many challenges due to her identity. Brazil is one of the most deadly countries for transgender people, with 179 reported murders in the year 2017.[6] This is the highest number in a decade. Additionally, black women are acutely underrepresented in Brazil's government. After this most recent election in 2018, Brazil's Senate had no increase in representation in the Upper House, with black women still holding 12 out of 81 seats. The Lower House, however, saw a five percent increase in black women representatives, from previously holding 51 seats, to an increase with 77 seats out of 513.[6]

Another challenge da Silva will states she will face comes from Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro is a divisive far-right politician who has just been elected as the 38th president of Brazil. He won 55 percent of the vote after a runoff against Fernando Haddad of the Leftist Workers' Party (PT). Throughout his campaign he has played on the public's fears about security and a recent increase in violent crime. (In 2017, homicide rates rose to a record high of 63,880, a 2.9 percent increase from 2016.) As a former army captain, Bolsonaro has claimed that he will combat the security crisis by militarizing the police, increasing pressure on criminals by allowing police officers greater weapons privileges, and decreasing restrictions on public gun possession. Bolsonaro has faced criticism throughout the election due to his past controversial and discriminatory statements about race, gender, and sexual orientation.[9]

Bolsonaro has remarked that black people living in the traditional communities of quilombos were not even good for procreating anymore. During his campaign he pledged to get rid of protected indigenous lands.[6] He has regarded having a female child as a "weakness", and said that women should not be employed equally, and should earn less than men because they "get more labour rights than men". Additionally, he has said stated that a fellow lawmaker was not worth raping because she was "too ugly" and not his "type". In a 2011 interview, Bolsonaro was quoted for saying that if he were to have a gay son, he would prefer for him to die in an accident than be homosexual, since Bolsonaro would never be able to love him.[10] He has also been taken to court for hate speech in the past.[6]