VI News Staff 2 years ago
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Brazil’s presidential vote is just days away. Voters are comparing it to ‘war’

Brazil’s upcoming presidential election has been shrouded by an unprecedented climate of tension and violence. As the Oct. 2 vote approaches, episodes of harassment and attacks have intensified, with even neutral players like poll institutes turning into targets.

Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who aims to be reelected, is currently lagging in the main polls behind leftwing former President Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva. And the battle between these two very different household names has divided the nation – with experts saying the level of political anger is different this year.

“The polarization we’re facing this year is different from just a political polarization,” says Felipe Nunes, CEO of Quaest Research Institute, which conducts polls in Brazil.

“This year we are seeing affective polarization — where different political groups see each other as enemies, not as adversaries.”

Several of his group’s researchers have been harassed while conducting polling this year, Nunes added.

Another well-known research institute, Datafolha said that one of its researchers’ lives was threatened, after they refused to interview a self-identified Bolsonaro supporter in the city of Ariranha, outside of Sao Paulo.

The disgruntled man accused the researcher of bias, and accused him of only interviewing “Lula’s supporters” and “tramps”. He then beat and threatened him with a knife, says Datafolha, which filed a police report.

“One of the polling guidelines is to not interview someone who offers himself. It has to be random for statistical purposes,” said Jean Estevao de Souza, electoral researcher project coordinator at Datafolha, to CNN.

“The most typical cases (of attacks) are of people who offer themselves and when the researcher explains that he cannot be interviewed under that circumstance, the person starts filming, offending and cursing.”

According to Datafolha, 42 other cases of harassment and violence against its employees have been reported since September 7 this year.

READ MORE: CNN

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