During an event at Maracanazinho arena to support Douglas Ruas’s bid for the governorship of Rio de Janeiro state, the lawmaker promised to “declare war on narco-terrorists” if elected president.

  The far-right candidate’s proposals include establishing a mandatory minimum eight-year prison sentence for cell phone theft, as well as implementing chemical castration for those convicted of rape and sexual abuse against women and children.

  Furthermore, the senator advocated for a policy of direct confrontation with organized crime, asserting that criminals must be removed from the streets “standing up or lying down”—a reference to the possibility of lethal force.

  Flavio Bolsonaro also criticized the security policies of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and former Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, both of whom also attended a campaign event in the city on Saturday.

  Flavio Bolsonaro’s statements came a day after a Datafolha poll placed Lula ahead in voter preference for the first round of the October presidential election, with 39 percent compared to the senator’s 33 percent.

  In a potential runoff, the poll showed the president with 47 percent of voting intentions against 43 percent for the PL candidate.

jdt/ga/mar