Attempted assassination of Jair Bolsonaro

On 6 September 2018, then-federal deputy Jair Bolsonaro survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally for the presidency of Brazil. While interacting with supporters in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, he was stabbed in the abdomen by Adélio Bispo de Oliveira.

Attempted assassination of Jair Bolsonaro
Jair Bolsonaro at the moment he is stabbed
Location	Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Coordinates	21°45′38.6″S 43°20′49″W
Date	6 September 2018 (2018-09-06) c. 15:40 BRT (UTC-03:00)
Target	Jair Bolsonaro
Attack type	Assassination attempt stabbing
Weapon	Knife
Injured	Jair Bolsonaro
Perpetrator	Adélio Bispo de Oliveira
Motive	The perpetrator cited political conspiracy theories and said he acted by "order of God".

Bolsonaro was immediately transported to the Santa Casa de Misericórdia hospital, where it was discovered he had suffered serious injuries, including three wounds to his small intestine and a severely damaged abdominal vein, resulting in substantial blood loss. Despite the severity of his injuries, Bolsonaro survived, undergoing four surgeries.

Adélio Bispo de Oliveira was arrested at the scene by Federal Police. Investigations concluded he acted alone. In June 2019, his preventive detention was converted to indefinite hospitalization at a federal penitentiary in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul. The knife used in the attack is now part of the Federal Police museum collection in Brasília.

The attack has fueled numerous conspiracy theories, propagated by both Bolsonaro's supporters and critics, and even by Bolsonaro himself.

Background

The 2018 Brazilian general election was highly polarized. Widespread 2013 protests against corruption and inequality revealed deep public dissatisfaction with the political system. This was exacerbated by economic recession and the rise of new political parties, further fragmenting the political landscape. Social media amplified existing divisions, with the right focusing on anti-corruption and the left on social programs. The 2016 impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff deepened these divisions, fueled by long-standing political rivalries and inflammatory rhetoric, including the use of derogatory terms to denigrate opposing groups. This climate of political tension, marked by violence, culminated in an attack on candidate Jair Bolsonaro. Despite this, Bolsonaro won the first round with 46.03% of the vote and ultimately secured the presidency in the second round with 55.13%.

Assassination attempt

Bolsonaro before and after the stabbing.

Jair Bolsonaro's presidential campaign schedule predicted his arrival in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, at 11 a.m. on September 6. His itinerary included a visit to Ascomcer Hospital and a lunch with business leaders, followed by a public event in front of City Hall at Halfeld Park. The day's activities were to conclude with a rally at Praça da Estação. Like other candidates, Bolsonaro had a security detail consisting of Federal Police agents.

Bolsonaro was stabbed while being carried on the shoulders of supporters, at a campaign event on Halfeld Street, one of the most important streets in the central region of the mining city of Juiz de Fora. He was wounded in the abdomen, suffering an injury to an important abdominal vein, which caused severe bleeding.

Following the attack, Bolsonaro was immediately transported to the Santa Casa de Misericórdia hospital in Juiz de Fora, arriving at the emergency room around 3:40 p.m. He underwent an exploratory laparotomy to address the penetrating abdominal wound.

Perpetrator

The perpetrator was apprehended immediately following the attack and identified as Adélio Bispo de Oliveira, born in Montes Claros on 6 May 1978. Oliveira claimed responsibility, stating he acted "on God's orders." His social media presence revealed criticism of the political establishment, President Michel Temer, and espoused conspiracy theories related to Freemasonry. Prior to the attack, Oliveira had been a member of the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) between 2007 and 2014, and had a prior legal record involving a bodily injury charge from 2013. A family member described him as an evangelical missionary who had distanced himself from his family and exhibited "troubled ideas."

Evidence suggests a degree of premeditation. Oliveira was present at the 38 Shooting Club in São José, Santa Catarina, on July 5, 2018, having learned that Bolsonaro's children, including federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro, frequented the location. This indicates potential planning spanning nearly two months.

A Federal Police investigation, analyzing 2 terabytes of data (including 150 hours of video and 1200 photos), revealed Oliveira's knowledge of Bolsonaro's schedule. Data from his cell phone showed that he filmed and photographed locations Bolsonaro would visit, such as the hotel where he lunched with business leaders, the Juiz de Fora City Council, and the Alfredo Ferreira Lage Cultural Foundation. He followed Bolsonaro throughout the day. The knife used in the attack, purchased in Florianópolis, was concealed in his jacket. Two witnesses reported Oliveira approached Bolsonaro under the guise of taking a photograph. The knife was recovered and the blood on it was forensically matched to Bolsonaro.

Following the attack, Oliveira was unexpectedly represented by four lawyers whose funding sources remain unclear and whose accounts of their engagement differed significantly. The final Federal Police report concluded that Oliveira acted alone in the attack, finding no evidence of involvement by any other individuals or groups despite an extensive investigation encompassing interviews with over thirty people and examination of Oliveira’s financial, telephone, and digital records.

However, preliminary investigations released October 18, 2018, revealed possible links between Oliveira and the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), a major Brazilian criminal organization. These included friendships with PCC members and the lawyers’ history of representing PCC clients. The lawyers denied any connection to the PCC. Funding for Oliveira's legal defense inexplicably ceased shortly before the second round of the presidential elections.

On June 14, 2019, Federal Judge Bruno Savino sentenced Oliveira to indefinite hospitalization, replacing his preventative detention. Judge Savino ruled that while the defendant's culpability was established, he was exempt from punishment due to a lack of imputability. Therefore, Oliveira was ordered hospitalized at the Federal Maximum Security Penitentiary in Campo Grande, as the judge determined that transferring him to the general prison system presented a significant risk to his life. Judge Savino also noted that Oliveira had demonstrated a continued intent to assassinate Bolsonaro.

Recovery

The high degree of complexity of the surgery Bolsonaro underwent, necessitated by the significant internal bleeding and damage to vital organs including his liver, intestines, and superior mesenteric vein, meant he was unable to continue his 2018 election campaign in the traditional manner. Doctors estimated a minimum recovery time of one to two months. Shortly after surgery, Senator Magno Malta filmed Bolsonaro in his hospital bed. Bolsonaro said he had only felt a blow, but once he realized what had happened, "the pain was unbearable." He also said he was "preparing for a moment like this, because you take risks." Bolsonaro asked: "How are human beings so bad? I've never hurt anyone."

Medical reports revealed he had lost 40-50% of his blood volume (5-5.5 liters) requiring a four-bag blood transfusion. Doctors highlighted that the knife narrowly missed larger blood vessels, averting potentially fatal consequences.  Following initial treatment at Santa Casa de Juiz de Fora, Bolsonaro was transferred to Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital on September 7.

Jair Bolsonaro in May 2019 showing the scar left by the attack

The first medical bulletin (September 9) reported improved abdominal condition and progress in mobility. A second bulletin (September 10) indicated his condition remained serious, necessitating future surgery to reconstruct intestinal transit and remove a colostomy bag. Subsequent bulletins detailed positive intestinal progress (September 11), the commencement of oral feeding (September 11), and his transition from intensive to semi-intensive care.

By September 19, Bolsonaro began consuming oral liquids, followed by drainage on the 20th after a tomography scan revealed fluid near his intestines. He regained bowel function on the 21st, starting a soft diet and leaving semi-intensive care the following day. The abdominal drain was removed on September 23, progressing to a light diet (23rd) and then a mild diet (25th). While showing good clinical evolution, he experienced a fever on September 28. He was ultimately discharged on September 29.

Despite his limitations, Bolsonaro, following medical advice, largely remained at home in the ensuing weeks, although short outings were permitted. He adapted his campaign, conducting interviews and utilizing social media to maintain a political presence.

Investigation

Following the attack, a comprehensive investigation was launched by the Federal Police (PF). On September 28, 2018, the PF concluded their initial investigation, determining that Adélio Bispo de Oliveira acted alone in the stabbing of Jair Bolsonaro. This conclusion was supported by analysis of security camera footage from the scene, revealing Oliveira's movements and actions leading up to the attack. The investigation also established that Oliveira had attempted to approach Bolsonaro earlier in the day. Further analysis of bank records, cell phone data, and online activity revealed no evidence of a broader conspiracy or financial motivations, reinforcing the assessment of a lone attacker. The PF report detailed Oliveira's prior reconnaissance of locations where Bolsonaro would be present, his tracking of the candidate throughout the day, and even his access to a hotel where Bolsonaro was scheduled to have lunch. These findings strongly suggested a premeditated and planned attack.

However, a second, more extensive investigation was initiated on September 25, 2018, to thoroughly explore any potential connections or conspiracies surrounding the attack. This investigation involved a deeper analysis of over six thousand cell phone conversations, more than a thousand emails, and five years of telephone data linked to Oliveira. The source of funding for Oliveira's defense also came under scrutiny. On January 23, 2019, the Federal Public Ministry extended this second investigation for 90 days. Search warrants were executed on December 21 at locations associated with Zanone Manuel de Oliveira Júnior, Oliveira's lawyer, who repeatedly refused to disclose the identity of his client's financial backers.

Despite the extensive second investigation, the Federal Police, in a June 11, 2024 statement, reaffirmed their initial conclusion: that Adélio Bispo de Oliveira acted alone in the attack on Jair Bolsonaro during the 2018 campaign event in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais.

Aftermath

The attack elicited immediate and widespread reactions across Brazil and internationally. Social media was flooded with activity almost instantly. Numerous fake accounts purporting to belong to the attacker were quickly created on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Within two hours of his arrest, the attacker's verified Facebook profile amassed over 9,500 followers. On Twitter, the attack was mentioned an estimated 808,000 times in the same timeframe, according to data compiled by the Getúlio Vargas Foundation. The incident became a top trending topic in at least twelve countries, spanning a wide geographical range including Argentina, Spain, the United States, and Bahrain.

The attack drew strong condemnation from across the political spectrum. Then-President Michel Temer described the event as "intolerable," expressing his concern that it obstructed peaceful political discourse within the democratic process. All other presidential candidates suspended their campaign activities on September 7, the day following the attack, releasing statements of repudiation and demanding a thorough investigation.

Several prominent government officials also commented on the incident. Eliseu Padilha, Chief of Staff to the President, declared that the attack dealt a "hard blow" to Brazilian democracy. Ronaldo Fonseca, Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, issued a similarly strong condemnation. General Hamilton Mourão, Bolsonaro's running mate at the time, stated that the campaign needed to "end victimization" linked to the attack. The reactions varied in tone, ranging from expressions of outrage and concern for Bolsonaro's health to calls for unity and a rejection of political violence.