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On Saturday (09/07), Marcelo de Arruda, a City Guard and Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) member, was shot dead by Jorge Guaranho, a policeman from the federal prison system and supporter of President Jair Bolsonaro. Due to the circumstances in which the murder occurred, it was interpreted by many, such as the Foz do Iguaçú Public Security Secretary Marcos Jahnke, as an act of political violence. The incident spread fears and alerts of probable increase in tensions and more acts of political violence across the country as an extremely polarized election approaches.
The Incident
Arruda was at a local association celebrating his birthday party in which the theme was former president Lula and PT. When the event was ending, Guaranho appeared in front of the party’s hall, and according to police reports, drove past shouting phrases in support of Bolsonaro, he called Lula a thief, and cursed. After a quick argument with the city guard and his friends, he left but told that would return. Then, according to witnesses, Arruda went to his car and took a gun to defend himself. Later, the policeman returned, invaded the party, and shot Arruda, who, despite being wounded, also hit Guaranho.
Police Conclusions
On Friday (15/07), the Paraná Civil Police released the conclusions of the investigation. According to the document, there was no political motivation in the murder of the PT member in Foz do Iguaçu. Police Chief Camila Cecconello stated that Guaranho shot Marcelo because he felt offended, as the PT member threw a handful of dirt and stone at his car, after political provocation.
Exchange of Accusations
Critics and opponents, such as former president Lula, state that President Bolsonaro stimulates violence against his adversaries and that this attitude is connected to the crime. An episode frequently mentioned by his opposition is a political rally in Acre, in which the then presidential candidate Bolsonaro said that people should “shoot the PT supporters”. In his defense, Bolsonaro stated that during the rally, he used a rhetorical figure. He has also republished a text declaring that he doesn’t need support from those who are violent. Furthermore, Bolsonaro has affirmed that violence comes from the left-wing groups, which would have a long history of violence. As an example, he mentioned the knife attack against him during the 2018 campaign as well.
Repercussion Among Politicians
All presidential candidates repudiated the crime. Federal Chamber President Arthur Lira stated that “the Federal Chamber repudiates any act of violence, specially those that are the result of political demonstrations.” Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco declared that “the murder of a citizen, during the celebration of his birthday with the theme of the candidate Lula, is the materialization of the political intolerance that is across Brazil today.”
Protection of the Candidates
After the incident, the Federal Police decided to activate state forces to reinforce security precautions for presidential candidates in the election. The agency’s management advised its 27 regional branches to contact the respective security secretariats in the states to mobilize efforts in the process. The PF is directly responsible for protecting presidential candidates. The exception is President Jair Bolsonaro, who is under the care of the Institutional Security Office (GSI).
