Wilson Witzel

On 14 April 2020, Wetzel tested positive for COVID-19.

An ally of the far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, Witzel was elected after promising a “slaughter” of drug gangsters. In September 2019, following the killing of an eight year old girl, hundreds demonstrated in anger in the Complexo do Alemão favela where she was shot, and the hashtag #aculpaedowitzel (it’s Witzel’s fault) led trending topics in Brazil. Cartoons showing the smiling governor wiping blood from his face.

Witzel was born in 1968 in Jundiaí. He spent 17 years acting in civil and criminal courts. He was a tenured federal judge of the 6th Federal Civil Court until 2 March 2018, when he resigned to join the (PSC).

He officially announced his candidacy for the position of Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro on 21 July 2018. His deputy was Rio de Janeiro city councilor Cláudio Castro, also of the PSC.

On 7 October 2018, in the first round of the general elections in Brazil, Wilson Witzel received 41.28% of the valid votes (3,154,771 votes), coming in first; second was Eduardo Paes, of the DEM, former mayor of Rio de Janeiro, with 19.56% valid votes (1,494,831 votes); Tarcísio Motta came third with 10.72% of valid votes. Witzel and Paes advanced to the second round. The result was considered a surprise given Witzel's low standing in the early polls.

On 28 October 2018, in the second round of the general elections in Brazil, Witzel obtained 59.87% of the valid votes (4,675,355 votes), was thus elected Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro for a term of 4 years starting January 2019; his opponent, Eduardo Paes, from DEM, received 40.13% of the valid votes (3,134,400 votes).

Wilson José Witzel (born 19 February 1968) is a Brazilian politician and lawyer who is the 63rd and current Governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro. A member of the Social Christian Party, Witzel is a former federal judge and is an ex-marine. On 28 October 2018, he was elected Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro with a four-year term beginning in January 2019, replacing Luiz Fernando Pezão.