Man stabs Brazilian election candidate

PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL IN HOSPITAL

A LEADING Brazilian presidential candidate who was wounded in a stabbing will be in hospital for at least a week, doctors said, as allies suggested the attack would make him stronger ahead of next month’s election.

A knife-wielding man stabbed far-right congressman Jair Bolsonaro at a campaign rally on Thursday as he was being carried on the shoulders of a supporter.

He suffered serious internal bleeding, according to surgeon Luiz Henrique Borsato, and had surgery in Juiz de Fora, the small city where the attack happened.

Mr Borsato said Mr Bolsonaro was in serious but stable condition and would remain in intensive care for at least seven days.

Mr Bolsonaro, a former army captain who has promised to crack down on crime and corruption, has long argued that Brazil is in chaos and needs a strong hand.

That message has resonated with many Brazilians, putting him in second place in polling, but his often derogatory comments about women, black people and the gay community have repulsed many.

The motive for the attack remains unclear, but the suspect, identified as 40-year-old Adelio Bispo de Oliveira, was arrested within seconds.

The man leading polls, former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has been barred from running because he was convicted of corruption and is in jail.