Brazil’s Lula da Silva asks for calm after ally’s killing

SAO PAULO — Under tight security and wearing a bulletproof vest, former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attended a political rally in the capital city of Brasilia. After passing through a metal detector, hundreds of Workers’ Party backers gathered near the stage, where da Silva called for them to remain peaceful and avoid confrontations with adversaries.

Da Silva’s plea this week reflects growing concerns among politicians, authorities and voters about Brazil’s presidential campaign and October election. The leftist leads all polls to return to the office he held between 2003-2010, but far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro has suggested he may not accept the results, while urging his allies to arm themselves.

Last week, Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin, the chairman of the country’s electoral court, warned in a Washington, D.C., presentation that incidents worse than the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol could happen in Brazil this year. Last July, CIA Director William Burns told two Bolsonaro ministers that the president should stop attacking the electoral system.

Electoral tensions rose again on Saturday night, when Marcelo Arruda, a da Silva backer and Workers’ Party official, was shot dead by a man who, witnesses told the police, had shouted support for Bolsonaro before pulling the trigger. The investigation is ongoing, but the killing reignited fears of political violence on the campaign trail, which officially begins in August.

“We don’t need to fight. Our weapon is our calmness, the love we have inside of us, our thirst of making people’s lives better,” da Silva said at the rally. “We don’t have to react to (Bolsonaro’s supporters’) provocations. If anyone teases you, tell them to go bite themselves. Go home and take care of your families. That’s the lesson we need to teach.”

Members of da Silva’s campaign and Bolsonaro’s presidency told The Associated Press they will not discuss security details with the media.

Bolsonaro, who was severely injured when he was stabbed in the abdomen at a campaign event in 2018, has presidential security at all times, including military personnel and local police.

Da Silva can only count on private security until his bid is validated by a party convention, which can take place until Aug. 5. After that, Brazil’s federal police will protect him.

The federal police said in a statement that 300 officers will be among those protecting candidates.

The…