Brazil elections: Wave of hate crime reported


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People mourn the death of capoeira on 10 October

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AFP / Getty Images

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A memorial was held in Salvador for the murdered capoeira master Romualdo Rosário da Costa

Ahead of the Brazilian elections.

Jimmy Bolsonaro, president of Jair Bolsonaro, according to local media.

An impending run-off vote between Mr Bolsonaro and leftist Fernando Haddad is polarizing the nation.

Mr Bolsonaro has dismissed the violent attacks as isolated.

AFP news agency has reported several cases of election-related violence, saying supporters of Mr Haddad were particularly targeted.

The Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (Abraji) has also registered more than 60 physical attacks on reporters, which took place in a political, partisan and electoral context.

  • Who is Jair Bolsonaro?
  • Who is Fernando Haddad?

Mr Bolsonaro is running on a tough-on-crime platform, but his critics say his language – and reputation – incites violence.

He has denied this. "I ask people to stop, but I do not control them," he said. "If a guy is wearing one of my T-shirts goes too far, what can I do?"

He said violent attacks have also come from the other side too. He was stabbed at a rally in September and spent time in intensive care.

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Media captionFive things about Brazil's far-right front-runner in the presidential election

Who has been attacked?

Romualdo Rosário da Costa, a 63-year-old master of the Brazilian martial arts capoeira, was stabbed to death in a bar in the north-eastern city, Salvador, in the early hours of Monday, just after the first round of the election .

The attacker, Paulo Sérgio Ferreira de Santana, told police his motives were political. He was angry when Da Costa said he was supporting Mr Bolsonaro's rival, and reportedly went home to pick up a knife, and then returned to the bar to stab the victim 12 times.

The swastika attack was also on Monday. A gang of men attacked a 19-year-old woman in the southern state of Porto Alegre, drawing the symbol of her skin with a penknife.

The woman – who has not been named – was carrying an LGBT flag and an anti-Bolsonaro sticker, according to Globo news.

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AFP / Getty Images

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An anti-Bolsonaro protest was held in Sao Paulo on Wednesday

Mr Bolsonaro is known for his homophobic comments, including once saying he would rather have a dead sound than a gay sound.

Trans singer Julyanna Barbosa was attacked last Saturday in Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro state. She said her assailants shouted about their support for Mr Bolsonaro, saying "these trash people have to die".

The Guardian reports that football fans have been singing: "Bolsonaro will kill all queers".

How violent is Brazil?

Violence has been rising in the country for some time and it has been a main focus of the election campaign.

Analysts say this is why voters have turned to Mr Bolsonaro.

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Reuters

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Brazilians fear getting caught in a shoot-out

  • Why are there so many murders in Brazil?

Gay rights organization Grupo Gay da Bahia said 2017 was the deadliest year for the country's LGBT community, with 387 killings.

It hates that number could increase more than 300 people been killed in anti-LGBT hate crimes so far, it says.

Does Mr Bolsonaro promote violence?

The former army captain's law-and-order rhetoric appeals to supporters, but his critics fear it will create more problems.

He has said this font should be allowed to kill criminals more freely, with questions asked later. Those who kill "10, 15 or 20" should get a medal, he said in August.

He also wants to relax gun laws for citizens. In the past, he has said more people should have been killed during the country's dictatorship (1964-1985).

Responding to recent political violence, Mr Haddad said: "We need to sit at the table with the people without guns at their waist".

Mr Bolonaro said he was refused to turn into a "peace and love" character to win votes.

Where does it go from here?

Polls suggest Mr Bolsonaro will be elected president after the October 28 run-off.

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AFP / Getty Images

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Fernando Haddad is the Workers' Party candidate

The latest estimates from the Datafolha polling organization put Mr Bolsonaro on 58%, with Mr Haddad trailing on 42%.

Mr. Haddad's party, the Workers' Party, is one of many politicians who have become embroiled in scandalous corruption.

Rights group Conectas Derechos Humanos says it is necessary for them to "ask their constituents to act in a peaceful and tolerant manner".

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