'Tropical Trump' Bolsonaro elected Brazil president
Rio De Janeiro, Oct 29 : Former army captain Jair Bolsonaro was elected president of Brazil on Sunday, promising a fundamental change in direction for the giant Latin American country, the latest to take a turn to the right.
Despite repulsing many with his open support of the torture used by Brazil's former military regime, as well as remarks deemed misogynist, racist and homophobic, Bolsonaro managed to tap voters' deep anger with corruption, crime and economic malaise.
Official results gave the controversial president-elect 55.13 per cent of the vote to 44.87 for leftist opponent Fernando Haddad, with 99.99 per cent of the ballots counted.
Bolsonaro, 63, will take office on January 1.
"We will change Brazil's destiny together," he said in his victory speech -- broadcast live from his home on Facebook, the platform he has used to campaign since an attacker stabbed him in the stomach at a rally on September 6.
Sitting next to his wife and wearing a dark blazer, the "Tropical Trump," as some have dubbed him, delivered his speech in a stern voice.
He pledged to govern "following the Bible and the constitution," and said: "We cannot continue flirting with socialism, communism, populism and the extremism of the left." But the longtime congressman promised to defend "the constitution, democracy and freedom," fending off opponents' warnings he would try to veer toward authoritarianism after openly expressing his admiration for Brazil's brutal military dictatorship (1964-1985).
Thousands of supporters flooded the streets outside his home in Rio de Janeiro, waving Brazilian flags and lighting up the sky with fireworks.
"All these people here are outraged, upset about corruption and crime, and we are with Bolsonaro. The people have spoken. For the first time I feel represented," said Andre Luiz Lobo, 38, a businessman who -- not incidentally, given the accusations of racism against his candidate -- is black.
On the other side, the reaction was despair -- and a defiant vow to resist.
Haddad, a former Sao Paulo mayor, said he would fight to "defend the freedoms of those 45 million people" who voted for him, after Bolsonaro vowed late in the campaign to "cleanse" Brazil of leftist "reds." Aides said Haddad, 55, had not called Bolsonaro to congratulate him.
"Fascists!" shouted tearful supporters at the headquarters of Haddad's Workers' Party in Sao Paulo.
"I'm surprised Brazilians would vote for hate, for guns," said Flavia Castelhanos, 31, after wiping away her tears, wearing a pin that said "Not him" -- opponents' rallying cry against Bolsonaro.
Political analysts and activists reacted in grim tones.
"This is a dark day for Brazil. Brazilian democracy is now in complete crisis," said Mark Weisbrot of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington.
Human Rights Watch called on Brazil's judges, journalists and civil society to be vigilant.
"We will join them in standing up against any attempt to erode... democratic rights and institutions," said the organization's Americas director, Jose Miguel Vivanco.
Bolsonaro has offended many in Brazil and beyond with his vitriolic rhetoric.
He once told a lawmaker he opposed that she "wasn't worth raping;" he has said he would rather see his sons die than come out as gay; and he commented after visiting one black community that they "do nothing -- they're so useless I doubt they can procreate."
But an even larger portion of voters rejected Haddad and the tarnished legacy of the Workers' Party, which had won the past four presidential elections.
The polls came on the heels of Brazil's worst-ever recession, a staggering multi-billion-dollar corruption scandal and a year of record-setting violent crime.
Haddad stood as a surrogate for the popular -- but imprisoned -- ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who led Brazil through the boom years of 2003 to 2010, before both the country and his left-wing political project went bust.
The highly divisive Lula, who stands accused of masterminding the massive pilfering of state oil company Petrobras, was barred from running because he is serving a 12-year sentence for bribery.
Centre-right President Michel Temer, who is set to leave office as the most unpopular leader in Brazil's modern democracy, congratulated Bolsonaro and said the transition process would start Monday.
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Three more arrested in connection with murder of Suhas Shetty in Mangaluru
Mangaluru (Karnataka), May 14 (PTI): The Mangaluru City Crime Branch has arrested three men in connection with the murder of Hindutva activist Suhas Shetty, officials said on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Azaruddin alias Azar alias Ajju (29), Abdul Khader alias Noufal (24) and Vamanjoor Noushad alias Chotte Noushad (39), were arrested during the last two days, they said.
With the fresh arrests, a total of 11 people have been arrested in connection with the murder so far, police said.
According to a police statement, Azaruddin had previously been booked in three theft cases registered at Panambur, Suratkal, and Mulki police stations. He allegedly provided information about Shetty's movements to the other accused, aiding in the murder.
Khader is said to have assisted the accused during their escape in a car after the murder was committed.
Noushad is accused of having conspired with the others and directly participated in the crime. He has six previous criminal cases, including murder, attempted murder, and robbery conspiracy, registered at various police stations in Dakshina Kannada, police said.
Azaruddin has been remanded in judicial custody, while Khader and Noushad have been taken into police custody for seven days for further investigation.
Police said the investigation is ongoing and efforts are underway to trace other accused involved in the case.
Shetty, a known rowdy sheeter and Hindutva activist, was murdered by a group on May 1 within the Bajpe police station limits in Mangaluru City.
