Elections in Brazil: tense climate after the ax assassination of a Lula sympathizer by a Bolsonarist

Rarely has an election been so tense.

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 murder took place late Wednesday at a farm in Confresa, a rural municipality in the state of Mato Grosso, in central-western Brazil.

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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Police said the two men were alone at 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.

Violence and intimidation

“It is with great sadness that I learn of the assassination of Benedito Cardoso,” Lula tweeted on Friday.

“Once again, a life has been lost due to intolerance.

Brazil does not deserve the hatred that has settled in the country,” added the left-wing leader who offered 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.

Several fights break out regularly between supporters of the two camps, as in Rio de Janeiro this Friday.

A Jair Bolsonaro supporter injured after a fight with Lula supporters in Rio de Janeiro.

REUTERS/Pilar Olivares

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.

Human Rights Watch called on Friday in a statement "all candidates to strongly condemn the assassination of Benedito Cardoso, as any act of political violence, any intimidation or any threat".

Given the loser, Jair Bolsonaro assured that he would accept the verdict of the ballot boxes "if indeed" that the process is "clean and transparent" and wishes to make the military the arbiters of the presidential election, inviting them to take part in a commission of transparency by the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE).

“It (

) has its share of responsibility, its credibility, and it is not going to do figuration.

She will do what is necessary, ”launched the far-right president at the end of August.