Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro had a brief physical altercation with a YouTuber who had previously taunted and insulted him.
A video published yesterday by the Brazilian news portal G1 shows how the Bolsonaro campaigner took selfies with supporters in front of the presidential residence in the capital Brasília.
Then the video blogger, identified by the G1 as Wilker Leão, began asking the president critical questions and filming himself in the process. A person not seen in the footage then threw Leão to the ground, whereupon the youtuber yelled at the president a series of expletives such as “coward” and “Sandler”.
Security guards stop the argument
Bolsonaro, who was already in his car, got out again, ran towards Leão with the words “come here, I want to talk to you”, tried to grab his cell phone, grabbed his shirt and then grabbed his arm with both hands. Security quickly intervened and took Leão away. Minutes later, the adversaries – separated from the security personnel – had a brief conversation.
Bolsonaro and his opponent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva officially started their campaign for the presidential elections in October on Tuesday. Polls show former leftist president Lula clearly ahead of the incumbent.