Brazil: Lula Da Silva Calls for Calm After Ally Killed by Jair Bolsonaro Supporter

With presidential elections looming in Brazil, tensions are high in the country right now. However, when a leader of the Workers' Party was killed by a gunman who shouted his support for current president Jair Bolsonaro, there is a legitimate fear that the situation might turn more violent.

With the threat of violence permeating across Brazil, the country's former president and current frontrunner, Luiz Inácio da Silva, better known in Brazil and the world as simply Lula, held a political rally in the capital Brasilia. The political gathering did not take anything into chance, and supporters had to pass through security checks and metal detectors to attend. Lula himself wore a bulletproof vest just in case.

In his speech, Lula asked his supporters for calm. Amid the murder of an ally by a supporter of his political opponent, the leftist former president told his supporters to remain peaceful and to avoid confrontations.

Lula Taking Security Measures Seriously After Attack on Ally

Workers' Party official Marcelo Arruda was celebrating at a birthday party when he was shot by Jorge José da Rocha, who supports Bolsonaro. After the incident, Brazil's federal police stated that they were assigning 300 officers to each of the candidates for their protection.

The Workers' Party, to which Arruda belonged, also beefed-up security for Lula following the incident. They imposed extra precautions during the rally in Brasilia, including having supporters move in groups, as well as having them wear neutral colors to avoid conflicts with other political groups. However, the Washington Post reported that they are not sharing any details about their measures for Lula's security with the media.

The party also echoes Lula's calls for peace. They told supporters not to argue or attack any provocateur, and also warned against any "heroic" actions as they may cause unnecessary risks for themselves and others.

Brazil Electoral Court Chairman Tells U.S. That 'Insurrection Greater Than January 6' May Happen in the Country

The Associated Press reported that with the political tensions in the country at an all-time high, Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin, who serves as the chairman of Brazil's electoral court, went to Washington D.C. and held a presentation. There, Justice Fachin stated that the country might face incidents worse than the January 6 insurrection.

The United States has been a staunch critic of many of Bolsonaro's policies. According to another Associated Press report, CIA Director William Burns went to Brasilia and met with two of Bolsonaro's ministers in July of last year. Burns told them that Bolsonaro should stop attacking the electoral system, which was something Donald Trump also did during the 2020 U.S. Presidential Elections.

Trump blamed the electoral system for his loss against Joe Biden and spread debunked claims that the elections were stolen. He is now being investigated by the January 6 committee, as well as the state of Georgia for his efforts to overturn the election results.

With Bolsonaro lagging in the polls and Lula in the lead, there are fears that the president might try to do the same thing Trump did. He previously rallied his supporters against the Supreme Court, causing a constitutional crisis in the country after he told his supporters that he will no longer heed the decisions of one of its Justices. He backtracked after much criticism but returned to his attacks just months after.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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