Brazil on edge for a bicentennial President Bolsonaro has made his own

President Jair Bolsonaro calls Brazil's bicentennial Wednesday a chance to celebrate the nation's proud history, but critics say he has transformed what should be a day of unity into a campaign event that they fear he will use to undermine next month's election in Latin America's fourth biggest democracy.

Bolsonaro, who trails in polls before the Oct. 2 vote, has urged Brazilians to flood the streets, and tens of thousands of his supporters were expected to turn out in Brasilia, Sao Paulo and his hometown of Rio de Janeiro in a show of strength. The military planned displays in the capital and in Rio, with Bolsonaro attending.

The far-right nationalist has for years made a mission of encouraging Brazilian patriotism, and coopted the national colors of green and yellow as his own. He stacked his administration with military officers and repeatedly sought their support, most recently to cast doubt on the reliability of the nation's electronic voting system, without evidence.

His attac