Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro told evangelical leaders on Saturday that “I have three alternatives for my future: to be arrested, assassinated or to win “in regards to the 2022 presidential election, Reuters reported.
Still, Bolsonaro promised that no one would intimidate him amid growing concerns from a country that has criticized him for failing to comply with masking guidelines and is investigating him for his treatment of the coronavirus pandemic. He has also been accused of spreading misinformation about the coronavirus, and YouTube pulled videos from his channel in July.
The far-right president has also questioned the electronic voting system in Brazil, saying it may succumb to fraud, and has argued that the country will use printed receipts, the cabling service reported.
YouTube has recently suspended the payment of 14 channel creators amid allegations that they have leaked misinformation about the 2022 election, many of whom are supporters of Bolsonaro.
Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court has criticized the idea of the country using printed ballots and current and former Supreme Court justices have ruled that there is no fraud within the country’s voting system, Reuters reported.
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is running for Bolsonaro, has stated that the far-right president is trying to divert public attention from the country’s poverty and unemployment by focusing on the issue of ballots. The New York Times reported.
According to a PoderData poll conducted between August 2 and August 4, if the 2022 election were to take place today, Bolsonaro would lose to da Silva 52% to 32% in a face-to-face match.