A Brazilian candidate, recovering from the dagger, could gain an advantage: NPR

The favorite of the Brazilian presidential election is recovering from a knife attack during a campaign rally, much to the relief of voters who support his far right vision for the country.

Jair Bolsonaro, 63, was stabbed in the throat Thursday as he was campaigning in Juiz de Fora, a city in southeastern Brazil.

The doctors reported suffering from intestinal lesions and severe internal bleeding for two hours. He was transferred from a local hospital to the Albert Einstein Hospital of São Paulo. The candidate is now stable and "in good clinical condition", according to the doctors.

Flavio Bolsonaro, one of his sons who comes to the Brazilian Senate, tweeted a Photo Saturday: Sit on a chair, wear a hospital gown and do a rifle pose with his hands – reflecting his tough stance on law and order.

The candidate's son stated that his father had lost so much blood that he was almost dead. In one video message, the son asked people to gather at Copacabana beach on Sunday. "It's our obligation to show that Brazil is with Bolsonaro," he said.

The presidential candidate himself tweeted Saturday afternoon, about corruption and freedom, saying to the supporters: "The moment unites us and strengthens us, we are in good hands."

Captain of the retired army, Bolsonaro is leading the polls, but he was convicted for his remarks that his critics were racist, homophobic and sexist – a comment to a congressman in 2003 that. Some observers see his rise as that of President Trump – and like Trump, he called the mainstream media "false news".

At the rally, supporters attacked the assailant before the police were able to detain him. The officers identified him as Adelio Obispo de Oliveira, 40 years old. He reportedly told the investigators that he was acting according to God's orders.

Both supporters and critics have denounced the stabbing and already, the rivals of Bolsonaro have withdrawn their attacks against him in the media. Some observers have stated that the attack would prolong Bolsonaro's lead in the run-up to the October elections – even if he can not resume his campaign before the opening. polling stations.

"This plays directly into his message: the security problems, the violence and the need to solve these problems," said Monica de Bolle, director of Latin American Studies at Johns Hopkins University. The New York Times. "There are still a lot of undecided voters – it might be that a number of them now say" Bolsonaro is our guy "."

The coverage of the attack has also increased its presence on national television. Oliver Stuenkel, professor of international relations in São Paulo, wrote in a tweet that the assassination attempt "increases his chances of reaching the second round, and frequent updates of his health will give him primetime TV visibility, and opponents will not be able to attack him as easily as before. "

Authorities have already banned his biggest rival, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, from standing for election. He is serving a prison sentence for corruption but denies wrongdoing.