Bolsonaro tells journalist he would 'like to smash your face in' over

The Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has told a journalist he would like to “smash your face in” after being questioned over reports of a series of mystery payments into his wife’s bank account by a former police officer with alleged links to the Rio de Janeiro underworld. Reports in the Brazilian media have claimed that between 2011 and 2017 at least 89,000 reais (about £12,000) were paid into the account of Brazil’s first lady, Michelle Bolsonaro. The mystery deposits were allegedly made by Fabrício Queiroz, a longtime friend of Bolsonaro who was recently arrested as part of a corruption investigation into one of the president’s sons, and Queiroz’s wife, Marcia Aguiar. Flávio Bolsonaro and Queiroz have denied the corruption allegations. Bolsonaro, who swept to power in 2018 vowing to stamp out corruption, has yet to adequately explain the payments and reacted peevishly when asked about them on Sunday.“What I’d really like to do is smash your face in, yeah?” the far-right populist was filmed telling a reporter from one of Brazil’s leading newspapers, O Globo. As he stood outside the Catholic Cathedral of Brasília, Bolsonaro then branded the journalist a safado (dirtbag). His comments sparked immediate condemnation from members of the media and opposition politicians.“This kind of behaviour not only demonstrates a lack of manners – it is also an attempt to intimidate the press and prevent awkward questioning,” the president of the Brazilian Press Association, Paulo Jeronimo told O Globo. Within minutes of Bolsonaro’s remarks being reported, Brazilian journalists had launched a coordinated online campaign, repeatedly tweeting the very same question at their president.

All data is taken from the source: https://www.theguardian.com/
Article Link: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/24/bolsonaro-tells-journalist-he-would-like-to-smash-their-face-in-over-corruption-claims


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