RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The wounding of a leading Brazilian presidential candidate has the potential to reshape the election contest after dramatically exposing deep polarization in Latin America's largest nation.
Far-right congressman Jair Bolsonaro is a former army captain who has promised to crack down on crime, and he has long argued that Brazil needs a strong hand to be steadied.
A man stabbed the candidate in the abdomen during a campaign event Thursday, and Brazilians surged on to social media to argue over whether the attack supports Bolsonaro's assertions that the country is off the rails or whether his heated rhetoric contributed to inciting the attack.
The public's anger is partially responsible for making this year's campaign the most unpredictable in years for Brazil, and the attack could lead to another seismic shift.