MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolsonarist murderer of PT treasurer remanded

Violent people should change sides and join the left, Bolsonaro stressed

A Brazilian court has ordered Jorge José da Rocha Guaranho to be remanded after charging him with murdering Workers' Party (PT) Treasurer Marcelo Arruda in Foz do Iguaçu, a city on the Brazilian sector of the three-way border with Argentina and Paraguay.

Corrections officer Da Rocha Guaranho, a confessed supporter of President Jair Bolsonaro who has in recent years reportedly talked about “cleaning” Brazil from the PT, engaged in a gunfight Saturday evening with the treasurer, who died from his wounds, while the Bolsonarist activist is still hospitalized in “serious condition.”

Arruda was celebrating his birthday at the Itaipu Physical Health Sports Association (Aresfi) in a room decorated with PT symbols and imagery of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, when Da Rocha reportedly showed up with a gun and started insulting the patrons while praising Bolsonaro.

A federal criminal police officer, Guaranho defines himself as a Christian, conservative, who says that guns are synonymous with protection. He posted a photo of himself with Eduardo Bolsonaro in June 2021 on social media.

Arruda died in the early hours of Sunday, leaving behind a wife and four children. When Guaranho opened fire, Arruda, a member of the Foz municipal security guard, shot back and hit the assailant, who was later hospitalized in serious condition at the Municipal Hospital of Foz do Iguaçu.

According to a police report, Guaranho arrived at the scene by car, accompanied by a woman and a baby, whom friends on social media have identified as his son.

Guaranho has also voiced his fierce support for former US President Donald Trump. “Fucking proud of this president! China should be ordered to pay the expenses of all the countries that suffered in this crisis. Just like countries that started wars!” he wrote while commenting on a news report that Trump was going to suspend transfers to the WHO at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The perpetrator was also a board member of the association where the crime took place.

After the incident, Bolsonaro underlined that in no way did he support Guaranho's actions or of anybody ”who practiced violence against opponents, I ask these types of people (violent) to be coherent, to change sides and support the left.“

Bolsonaro insisted the Brazilian left ”accumulates a history of undeniable episodes of violence“ and hoped the ”authorities seriously investigate what happened and take all possible measures.“

Former president Lula released a note of ”solidarity“ with Marcelo Arruda's relatives and criticized the ”hate speech stimulated by an irresponsible president.“

PT Chairwoman Gleisi Hoffmann stressed that the ”current President of the Republic stimulates confrontation, conflict, and attacks on adversaries.”