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Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right presidential hopeful stabbed at campaign event Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right presidential hopeful stabbed at campaign event
(35 minutes later)
Brazilian far-right and poll-leading presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro has been stabbed in the abdomen while campaigning for next month’s election, his son Flavio said in a Twitter message sent from his verified account. Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right candidate who is leading the polls in Brazil’s presidential race, has been stabbed campaigning in Minas Gerais state just a month before the election.
Bolsonaro is recovering in a hospital from a wound that was “only superficial,” his son said on Thursday. Globo TV showed images of Bolsonaro in the midst of a crowd in Juiz de Fora in Minas Gerais state when he was stabbed. Bolsonaro was recovering in hospital from an injury that was “only superficial,” tweeted his son, Flavio, who is himself a candidate for the Brazilian senate.
The candidate can be seen held up by supporters and waving to the crowd when he suddenly clutches his abdomen. O Globo newspaper reported that he was wearing a bullet-proof vest, but was wounded just below it.
Juiz de Fora, há pouco! pic.twitter.com/Z3M9S1pz6EJuiz de Fora, há pouco! pic.twitter.com/Z3M9S1pz6E
Bolsonaro's other son Eduardo tweeted that his father's life was not in danger. Videos shared on social media showed the moment Bolsonaro was attacked as he was carried on the shoulders of supporters at an event in the city of Juiz de Fora, about 125 miles (200km) north of Rio de Janeiro.
Bolsonaro is second in the polls to ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who has been barred from running due to a criminal conviction for corruption but continues to appeal. Bolsonaro was waving to the crowd when he suddenly clutched his abdomen and cried out in pain before falling backwards into the arms of those around him. O Globo newspaper reported that he was wearing a bulletproof vest, but was wounded just below it.
A police spokesman confirmed that the attacker was in custody.
In an especially unpredictable campaign, Bolsonaro has polarised opinion with his calls for looser gun laws, his attacks on the left and his praise for the military dictatorship that ran Brazil between 1964 and 1985, torturing thousands of its opponents and executing hundreds more.
Bolsonaro faces trial before the Supreme Court for speech that prosecutors said incited hate and rape.
Yet rising violent crime, anger over repeated corruption scandals and an efficient social media operation have helped him build support, and he is second in the polls to ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who has been barred from running because of a criminal conviction for corruption. Lula continues to appeal.
Other candidates quickly denounced the attack.
Fernando Haddad, who is likely to replace Lula as the Workers Party presidential candidate, said the stabbing was a “shame” and a “horror.”
“Politics is done by dialogue and convincing, never with hate,” tweeted Gerado Alckmin, former governor of Sao Paulo who has focused negative ads on Bolsonaro.
More details soon …More details soon …
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