Bolsonaro supporter fires grenades at police – arrested Broad support, but no clean record – Rishi Sunak taps

A right-wing politician and supporter of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has violently resisted his arrest by police, in which two officers were injured with a grenade.

Former MP Roberto Jefferson was about to be taken away by police from his home in the city of Levy Gasparian, Rio de Janeiro state, when he fired the grenades, authorities said on Sunday.

Jefferson’s jail term was ordered by the Supreme Court for violating the terms of his house arrest. The ex-MP was placed under house arrest for grossly insulting a judge in the online networks.

Eight o’clock entrenched

According to the police, the politician is holed up in his house for eight hours from the officers. He used “firearms and explosives” in his opposition to the arrest. After “intense negotiations”, Jefferson was eventually arrested. He now faces charges of attempted murder.

Bolsonaro immediately condemned the ex-MP’s act of violence. “Anyone who shoots a police officer should be treated like a bandit,” the right-wing president wrote on Twitter. Bolsonaro expressed his solidarity with the injured police officers.

The two officers were not seriously injured, police said. They would be in good health after their medical care.

Together in the picture

Two years ago, Jefferson described himself as a “close friend” of Bolsonaro. However, the president denied on Sunday having any personal ties with the ex-MP. However, Brazilian media have published several photos since Bolsonaro took office in 2019 showing the head of state together with Jefferson.

Bolsonaro will face left-wing ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in a runoff for top office next Sunday. In the first round of voting on October 2, Lula received 48 percent of the vote, Bolsonaro 43 percent.

The political climate in the largest Latin American country is extremely polarized and the election campaign is being conducted with a very strong connection. Against the background of the election campaign, politically motivated acts of violence have already taken place on several occasions. (sda/afp)