The political opposition in Brazil on Wednesday said the government of President Jair Bolsonaro was failing to stop violent attacks on women and LGBT+ people that have risen in the past year. Research published this week showed murders of LGBT+ people rose more than 10% last year while reports of sexual violence increased 4% in Brazil. Rights campaigners and political opponents of Bolsonaro said the tone of his presidential campaign last year may have stoked violence. “The LGBT-phobic, sexist declarations from the government contribute to promoting violence,” said Fernanda Melchionna, a congresswoman with the opposition Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL). Bolsonaro’s government “repeats macho ideas” and “dismantles public policies for women’s protection,” she said. The research by the Brazilian Public Security Forum also found that femicides – women killed because of their gender – increased 4% to 1,206 in 2018.