“They Said If I Climbed in Polls They’d Kill Me”: Candidate Who Survived Murder Attempted

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Journalist Solange Freitas, a PSDB (Brazilian Social Democratic Party) candidate for the São Vicente City Council, in Baixada Santista (SP), claims to have been the target of two death threats during the campaign before being attacked last Wednesday, November 11th.

A man on a motorcycle shot five times at the window of the vehicle’s passenger seat. The car was armored and the bullets failed to break the glass. In addition to Solange, there were three advisors in the vehicle and another candidate, Gil do Conselho. No one was hurt.

The candidate is yet one more victim of the escalation of political violence in Brazil’s municipal elections, which have already killed 82 candidates and militants. The police are still investigating the planner and perpetrator of the attack suffered by the candidate. “It is still under investigation, but in my opinion, it was politically motivated.”

“At the time it’s a major fright, tears and a sense of anger. To know that people do this for the sake of power. But then it just gives me more strength to go on,” says the candidate. Solange had swapped seats in the car shortly before the attack. She left the passenger seat, in the front, to sit in the back and review the day’s schedule with an advisor. The use of the armored car, according to her, was a precaution.

Solange, who was back campaigning on the streets this Friday, said she “doesn’t feel intimidated”. “I am firm in my purpose, I will not give up. This attack on democracy is also regrettable because it can discourage women from running given such violence, an attempt to assassinate a candidate,” she said. “This strong trend for more women in politics is very positive and important”.

The 50-year-old journalist worked as a reporter for TV Tribuna, an affiliate of Rede Globo, up until May when she stepped down to handle her campaign. Since she joined the political world, she reports having been strongly attacked on social media. “Not with gunshots like this. They were always attempts to wear out my image. Many fake news, false accusations, so much so that I was forced to file many suits in the courts,” she says.

For Solange, the social media attacks were only meant to destabilize her. “Also because of my status as a woman, this is the first time we have female candidates trying to reach the City Hall. But what happened this week is a power issue,” she says.

During the campaign, she claims to have suffered two death threats, but she dismissed them. On October 14th, one of the candidate’s committees was destroyed by an allegedly criminal fire. The case is still under investigation by the Civil Police. Days later, when she visited the site, the candidate was approached by a stranger on a bicycle.

“The guy told me that he worked for someone, he did not say who, but that he had information that if I were to climb too much in the polls they would kill me. And that if they did not kill me and I won the election, I would not be taking office,” says Solange. She concludes with advisors that this should be yet another attempt to destabilize her and decided to “dismiss it”.

“The other day, a message came through WhatsApp with a number from Chile threatening me and I blocked it. Those two were real threats,” she explains.

Warning from the PCC

Since the attack on the candidate, there have been comments in the city as to whether it could be related to an alleged warning made by the ‘Primeiro Comando da Capital’ (PCC – the largest Brazilian criminal organization) banning political campaigns by the PSDB and allies in favelas throughout the state of São Paulo. Solange does not believe that the incident was related to this warning.

“This warning by the PCC began at the beginning of the campaign, which was then extended to all parties linked to the state government. Here in São Vicente virtually no candidate was allowed to campaign in any favela,” she explains.

She states that she has not visited favela and that she was only approached once, when she recorded an electoral campaign advertisement at the Barreiros Bridge, the main link between the city’s Continental and Insular areas.

“I was passing by, I was on my way, but the guys said I couldn’t stand there. I said I wasn’t doing anything, I wasn’t inside the favela and I wasn’t asking for votes. Nevertheless, they said that since it was for the campaign, I couldn’t do it, so they deleted the photos and the video. I can’t see anything connected to them, and I don’t see any reason why they did this”.

In a note, the PSDB stated that it is expecting a prompt investigation on the perpetration of the crime. “The São Paulo PSDB sympathizes with the candidate for mayor of São Vicente Solange Freitas and her team, victims of a shooting attack on Wednesday morning. Solange is the hope for better days in the city and no doubt will remain firm in this purpose. The PSDB expects the police authorities to rapidly clarify the case and to punish the perpetrators in an exemplary manner”.

PSDB’s Governor João Doria said on Twitter that the attack on the candidate is “an attack on democracy” and reported that he ordered the Civil Police to investigate the incident.

Source: El País

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