Analyse
The quote was verified through **official legislative transcripts** from the **Assembleia Legislativa do Rio de Janeiro (ALERJ)**, published on **June 17, 1999**, during a session discussing police violence. Multiple **Brazilian news outlets** (e.g., *Folha de S.Paulo*, *O Globo*) reported the statement at the time, and Bolsonaro himself has **never denied** making it, though he later claimed it was taken out of context. The phrasing aligns with his long-standing **hardline stance on law enforcement**, including public support for extrajudicial killings by police.
Achtergrond
The remark occurred amid a **1990s wave of police brutality in Rio**, particularly against favela residents, with **record-high killings by on-duty officers**. Bolsonaro, then a **federal deputy**, was known for **pro-police rhetoric**, including defending officers accused of executions. His 1999 comment became emblematic of his **controversial views on public security**, which later defined his 2018 presidential campaign promise to grant police **greater impunity** in use-of-force incidents.
Samenvatting verdict
Jair Bolsonaro did say, in 1999, *'Errou, tem que morrer na rua igual a um cachorro'* ('If they made a mistake, they must die in the street like a dog') during a debate on police killings in Rio’s Legislative Assembly, as confirmed by official records and media reports.