A supporter of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro killed a supporter of former head of state Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva with 15 ax blows during a dispute over politics, police said.
The victim, Benedito Cardoso, aged 42, was quarreling with a 24-year-old man over the presidential election which will see far-right President Bolsonaro and the leader of the left face off in the 1st round on October 2. Lula, favorite in all the polls.
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The murder took place late Wednesday, September 7, at a farm in Confresa, a rural municipality in the state of Mato Grosso, in central-western Brazil.
Police said the two men were alone on the property when "a
politically charged dispute
" broke out.
“
The victim was defending Lula and the aggressor Bolsonaro
,” police said in a statement late Thursday.
The victim grabbed a knife, which the other man snatched from him before attacking him.
Cardoso, fallen to the ground, was killed with 15 ax blows.
The murderer was arrested while trying to have his injuries treated at a hospital.
Brazil is facing these elections in an atmosphere polarized as never before.
The police have raised the security level of electoral meetings, where the two favorite candidates wear bulletproof vests and avoid close contact with the crowd.
“
It is with great sadness that I learn of the assassination of Benedito Cardoso
,” Lula tweeted on Friday September 9.
“
Once again, a life has been lost due to intolerance.
Brazil does not deserve the hatred that has taken root in the country
,” adds Lula, who offers his condolences to the relatives of the victim.
The assassination by bullets in July of a local representative of the Workers' Party (PT) of Lula who was celebrating his 50th anniversary in Foz do Iguaçu (south) by a Bolsonarist policeman had already caused a stir in Brazil.
Human Rights Watch called in a statement on Friday "
all candidates to strongly condemn the assassination of Benedito Cardoso, as well as any act of political violence, intimidation or threat
".