Radio host and candidate for city councilor in Rio de Janeiro, Leonel de Esquerda (PT), remains hospitalized at the Glória D’Or Hospital with no discharge date. This is what the medical report released at 11:30 am this Monday (2) indicates.
Leonel de Esquerda’s team and the PT used social media to denounce this Sunday (1st) that the radio host had been target of aggression by state deputy Rodrigo Amorim (União Brasil), candidate for mayor of Rio de Janeiro. The incident took place in Praça Varnhagem, in Tijuca, a neighborhood in the northern part of the capital of Rio de Janeiro.
According to the medical report from Hospital Glória D’Or, the radio broadcaster was admitted to the emergency room at 12:54 p.m. on Sunday (1st) accompanied by his wife. He arrived lucid and awake, with recent amnesia. Tests indicated a fractured nose and, as Leonel was disoriented, he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit for neurological monitoring and other care. Although CT scans of his skull and cervical spine did not indicate any changes, he will continue to be monitored by specialists in neurology and otorhinolaryngology.
Leonel Querino da Silva Neto is 35 years old, declares himself black and quilombola, works at Brazilian Communication Company (EBC) as a radio broadcaster and is licensed to run for political office. In images that circulated on social media, he appears with injuries and blood on his face and back. A video captured the moment when his cell phone falls to the floor and he bends down to pick it up, when he receives a kick in the face.
Also on social media, state deputy Rodrigo Amorim gave his version of the facts. He claimed that he was going to lunch with his wife when he was approached disrespectfully by Leonel de Esquerda, also accusing him of having a history of insulting his family’s honor. “I will take all legal measures to put an end to the moral harassment once and for all,” he wrote.
Due Diligence
Amorim said he reported the case to the police station. A statement released by the state deputy’s team indicates that he was intimidated and “acted in self-defense.” Also on Sunday, the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police confirmed that the case was being investigated. “Efforts are underway to clarify the facts,” it said in a statement sent to the police. Brazil Agency. Contacted on Monday (2), the Civil Police did not provide any new information.
In a statement, the PT in Rio de Janeiro demanded action from the Regional Electoral Court (TRE) and classified the incident as an “attack on Brazilian democracy, free elections and the physical integrity of those who are running for popular vote.” The party also expressed solidarity with the radio hosts and their families. “Fascism is still alive in Brazil and we need, in the name of Brazilian democracy, to vehemently combat the hatred that does not tolerate dialogue with contradictions,” the text adds.
