Brazil: Jair Bolsonaro Supporter Kills Opposition Party Official

A leftist opposition party official was murdered by an alleged supporter of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro ahead of the upcoming elections in Brazil. The murder sparked fears that more violence may come as the highly polarized elections in Brazil happens in October.

Marcelo Arruda, a Workers' Party official in the city of Foz do Iguaçu, was fatally shot by federal prison guard Jorge José da Rocha. Arruda held a birthday party, and de Rocha turned up uninvited to shoot the opposition official. As he shot the victim, de Rocha shouted his support for Bolsonaro.

Killer Supports President Bolsonaro While Victim Supports Former President Da Silva

The killing, which highlights the tense political situation in Brazil right now, shocked many in the country. Arruda was part of the municipal guard and staunchly supported the candidacy of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He managed to fire back at his attacker, even wounding him. He died moments later due to his wounds.

Meanwhile, his killer, Jorge José da Rocha, was heard shouting his support for current president Jair Bolsonaro. He is now being treated inside a local hospital for his wounds, according to the Associated Press.

Da Silva condemned the killing of one of his supporters and urged Brazil to "regain normalcy." However, he still blamed the president's rhetoric for the incident.

Meanwhile, Bolsonaro said he opposes any act of violence but also accused the left of stoking political violence.

Politicians, Officials, Celebrities Urge Brazilians To Stop the Violence

Politicians are now worried that this might cause further violence between the supporters of the far-right Bolsonaro and the leftist da Silva, who is currently leading in opinion polls for the presidential race. The killing prompted Brazil's Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco to urge both leaders to calm their supporters down, according to ABC News. Arthur Lira, the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, echoed Pacheco's sentiments in a similar statement to the two sides.

The Catholic Church, which holds a large amount of influence in Brazil, also condemned the attack. According to the country's National Bishops' Conference. the violence which turned a birthday party into a scene of death "should not be a reference."

The Washington Post reported that RAPS, a non-partisan group for political action, also condemned the attack and called on Brazil's leaders to act immediately. The organization said, "Political violence can no longer be tolerated in Brazil."

Brazilian singer Anitta, one of Brazil's most popular singers and a frequent critic of President Bolsonaro, surprised everyone in the country when she said the killing convinced her not to vote for Da Silva. In a statement on Twitter, the singer said that she does not support the Workers' Party and said that a Da Silva supporter being killed by a Bolsonaro supporter is scary.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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