Photo: PABLO PORCIUNCULA / AFP / Getty Images
In a bizarre campaign strategy, Brazilian police allege that Mayor José Aprígio da Silva staged a fake assassination attempt against himself to garner public sympathy and win re-election. The attack occurred just before the local elections in Taboão da Serra, with Silva's armored vehicle coming under fire, leaving him injured. The incident prompted widespread condemnation and calls for justice, including from high-ranking officials.
Investigators now believe the "attack" was a hoax by Silva's supporters, with evidence suggesting that they paid to stage the event, hoping it would sway public opinion in Silva's favor. Silva was injured, but it might have been unintentional, due to a miscalculation regarding his vehicle's ballistic protection against the AK-47 used in the staged attack.
Despite the alleged scheme, Silva's plan backfired, when he lost the election by a landslide to his rival, Daniel Plana Bogalho, who hopes for justice. While Silva's lawyers maintain his innocence and claim he was a victim, police reports suggest the incident was a calculated attempt to manipulate the election, rather than a genuine assassination attempt.
Maybe next time read the polling numbers and save the bullet.