Remarks by presidential candidate, son heat up Brazil elections

Oct. 22 (UPI) -- One day after Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro strengthened attacks against the opposing Workers' Party, his son apologized for remarks he said were taken out of context.

Front-runner Bolsonaro said during a speech on Sunday he would "erase from the map" members of left-oriented groups, whom he described as "red outlaws".

Thousands had gathered in Sao Paulo and other Brazilian cities to support Bolsonaro and cheered him on as he promised "a clean-up never seen before in the history of Brazil."

Bolsonaro, who will face Fernando Haddad of the left-oriented Worker's Party in the Oct. 28 vote, is recovering from a knife wound he received last month during a campaign rally. Bolsonaro is polling at about 57 percent, compared to Haddad's 43 percent.

Brazilian newspapers Monday focused on comments by Bolsonaro's son, elected legislator Eduardo Bolsonaro, who said in a newly released audio recording that "a soldier and a corporal" were enough to close the country's Supreme Federal Court.

Celso de Mello, a member of the court, told Folha de Sao Paulo he considered the comments as supporting a coup. If such an "unacceptable" authoritarian vision is maintained, it will only compromise the integrity of democratic order, he said.

Brazilian Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes called for an investigation by Brazil's state attorney, calling the remarks "absolutely irresponsible".

Eduardo Bolsonaro denied on Sunday he favors any plan to close the Supreme Federal Court and apologized. He said he was referring to a hypothetical decision by authorities to challenge the election of his father, and that he'd only repeated a joke heard on the street.

Meanwhile, Brazilian authorities are investigating claims the messaging platform Whatsapp has tried to manipulate public opinion ahead of the elections, including paying for false information.