What Will Be The Impact On Brazil's Election After Yesterday's Assassination Attempt Of Its Frontrunner

Reuters: Brazil election plunged into chaos by attack on far-right frontrunner

JUIZ DE FORA, Brazil, Sept 7 (Reuters) - The run-up to a presidential election in Brazil plunged into chaos on Friday after a knife attack on far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro put the frontrunner in intensive care just a month before the vote.

Congressman Bolsonaro, who has enraged many Brazilians for years with controversial comments but has a devout following among conservative voters, could take two months to fully recover and will spend at least a week in hospital, said Dr. Luiz Henrique Borsato, who operated on the candidate.

"His internal wounds were grave and put the patient's life at risk," Borsato said. The challenge now is preventing infection that could result from the perforation of Bolsonaro's intestines, he said.

The attack on Bolsonaro, 63, is a twist in what was already Brazil's most unpredictable election since the country's return to democracy three decades ago. Corruption investigations have jailed scores of businessmen and politicians in recent years, and alienated voters.

There was fear of violence flaring across Brazil on Friday, as the nation celebrates Independence Day with political groups likely to march in hundreds of cities. Bolsonaro's rival candidates called off campaign activities for Friday.

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WNU Editor: According to the polls, Jair Bolsonaro is the front runner .... Brazil's Presidential Front-Runner Is Seriously Wounded In Attack At Campaign Rally (NPR). This is an amazing feat since under Brazil's campaign laws, Bolsonaro's tiny coalition has almost no campaign time on government-regulated candidate ad blocs on TV and radio. That is why this assassination attempt is going to impact his campaign. It will take him two months to recover, and as a result he will not be able to attend (or limit his appearances) at  rallies and/or at political events.