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Published September 3, 2026

The Dirty Politics of Denying Science

In Brazil, the new act of rebellion for right-wingers is to drink soap. Yes, soap.
Page 1: “In recent decades, the far-right has grown globally. Along with conservative ideology, scientific denialism has taken off.” A man in a truck spewing exhaust says, “Global warming? I don't know her.”
Page 2: “In Brazil, the consequences of this denialism were brutal. The COVID-19 pandemic, which occurred during Jair Bolsonaro's administration, left over 700,000 dead - more than the entire population of Boston.” Four empty graves, and one with a headstone and a wreath. “4 out of 5 of those deaths could have been prevented if the country were at the global average.”
Page 3: “Prominent figures on the far-right disputed the existence of the virus and the effectiveness of vaccines, as well as other essential protective measures against COVID-19.” People in a protest wave Brazilian flags and hold signs with the slogan “Say no to the lockdown.”
Page 4: “That placed Brazil on the grim list of countries with the most deaths from the virus, behind only the US.” Reporter: “Mr. President, today we had over 113 deaths from COVID…” Bolsonaro: “I'm not a gravedigger, okay? It's a reality; the virus is out there. We have to face it, but face it like men, damn it! ​​That's life. We're all going to die someday.” *Free translations of statements from Bolsonaro.
Page 5: “Despite being defeated at the polls and being under house arrest following an attempted coup d'etat, Bolsonaro still has followers who are willing to go to extremes to demonstrate their support.” Blue sparkling background.
Page 6: “In May 2026, Anvisa (Brazil's health regulatory agency) suspended production at a dish soap factory due to suspected microbiological contamination. By chance, the family owning the company had donated a significant amount to Bolsonaro's re-election campaign.” The blue background is dish soap emanating from a bottle.
Page 7: “Loyal voters became convinced that the move was an act of political persecution against the company. Influencers, politicians, and celebrities posted videos using or buying the brand's products as part of an informal support campaign.” A man washes his hair with dish soap, a woman blows dish soap bubbles for her child, a man stands in his kitchen saying, “Are they going to inspect my kitchen sponge?”
Page 8: “They even went so far as to drink dish soap straight from the bottle! Seriously!” Two men chug soap in recordings on social media.
Page 9: “Of course, the general public found it all very funny.” Commenter: “Now they're farting soap bubbles (laughing face)” Commenter: “Guys, just let natural selection take its course” Commenter: “Darwin, it's your time to shine (sparkles)” Commenter: “Seeing people defend bacteria in dish soap for ideological reasons really wasn't on my 2026 bingo card.”
Page 10: “Joking aside, though, everyone knows that drinking dish soap is harmful. And so is bacterial contamination. So, what drove people to jeopardize their own health in this way? According to researcher Déborah Barros Leal Farias,
Page 11: Déborah Barros Leal Farias: “An obvious example: the binary and absolutist conception of gender does not accept the biological complexity - let alone the social complexity-of the concepts of gender or sexual orientation. The male/female binary, heteronormativity, and cisgender identity are not viewed merely as common, but as
Page 12: Déborah Barros Leal Farias: “Given the fundamentalist conservative values embraced by the far-right, it is easy to understand the cognitive challenge involved in accepting variations regarding gender and sexuality. However, the far-right's denialist agenda includes topics that need not be embraced, let alone so vehemently.” Headline: “Bolsonaro é provavelmente o primeiro líder político da história a desencorajar vacinação, diz especialista francês,” translation:
Page 13: Déborah Barros Leal Farias: “In principle, nothing inherently predisposes conservative values themselves to such a fiercely denialist reaction. However, once this stance became tied to identity and group belonging, the logic of the correlation became irrelevant.” * Déborah's remarks were adapted from the article
Page 14: “In other words, denialism is a tool that serves two purposes: Protecting an identity, by rejecting facts that contradict a group's beliefs. Reinforcing an identity, even when there is no direct link to the group's beliefs.”
Panel 15: “After all, the existence of bacteria and the health risks they pose are nothing new-and thus have nothing to do with conservatism. Yet, the moment Bolsonaro's name became involved, the issue entered the ideological (and battle) arena of the far-right.”
Page 16: “Extremism and scientific denialism often go hand in hand with conspiracy theories and a distrust of institutions. Case in point: the actions of health inspectors were perceived as a form of persecution.” In an extremist’s eyes, a normal scientist looks scheming and untrustworthy.
Page 17: “In an extremist, denialist context, ideological loyalty takes precedence over critical analysis of events.” Inside an extremist’s brain, a portion of the brain marked “logic” pushes brain parts marked “logic” and “reason” to the side.
Page 18: “Perhaps this explains what drove Bolsonaro supporters to commit absurd acts against their own health-and against all logic.”
sources

Farias, D.B.L. (2024) Rise of the far-right and scientific (and climate) denialism, CEBRI Revista. (Accessed 15 July 2026).

Gomes, P. H. (2020) 'Não sou coveiro, tá?', diz Bolsonaro ao responder sobre mortos por coronavírus, G1. (Accessed 15 July 2026).

Fernandes, D. (2021) Bolsonaro é provavelmente o primeiro líder político da história a desencorajar vacinação, diz especialista francês, BBC News Brasil. (Accessed 18 July 2026).

Ramos, S., Zamora, M. H. (2024) Conexões entre negacionismo e extremismo: dos aspectos psicológicos aos sociais, PUC Rio. (Accessed 18 July 2026).

Agência Senado (2021) Pesquisas apontam que milhares de mortes por covid poderiam ter sido evitadas no Brasil. (Accessed 25 July 2026).

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