Presidential Palace and Congress Stormed, Pro-Bolsonaro Activists Arrested

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Presidential Palace and Congress Stormed Pro Bolsonaro Activists Arrested

BRAZIL. Hundreds of pro-Bolsonaro activists stormed the presidential palace, Congress and the Supreme Court on Sunday January 8. All were evacuated and at least 300 were arrested. President Lula condemns the putsch attempt.

The essential

  • In Brazil, the presidential palace, the Congress and the Supreme Court were stormed by pro-Bolsonarist protesters on Sunday January 8, 2023.

  • The activists who still do not recognize the victory of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the presidential election of 2022 were dislodged by the police after four hours of riots. At least 300 people were arrested on Monday morning.

  • Brazil observes a return to calm this Monday, January 9 with the presence of the army in the streets of Brasilia. Lula also returned to the capital condemns the attempted insurrection: “The putschists who promoted the destruction of public property in Brasilia are being identified and will be punished” as well as “those who financed these demonstrations”.

  • Jair Boslonaro is held partly responsible for the assault on places of power in Brazil. From his home in Miam in the United States, the far-right politician denounced the demonstrations without firmness and cleared himself of all responsibilities.

  • Follow live the latest information on the riots in Brazil

Live

09:21 – Bolsonaro responsible for the assaults on places of power in Brazil?

Were the attacks led by resolutely Bolsonarian demonstrators encouraged by Jair Bolsonaro? There is no doubt for President Lula elected in October 2022 against Bolsonaro. The left-wing politician has also accused his predecessor of blowing a wind of insurrection through his speeches. Note that Jair Bolsonaro has never recognized his defeat, contenting himself with promising respect for the institutions.

09:14 – Lula denounces the attempted “fascist” insurrection in Brazil

Lula was not present in Brasilia during the storming of the presidential palace, the Congress and the Supreme Court this Sunday, January 8. Back in the capital on Monday, the politician strongly condemned the demonstrations by pro-Bolsonaro activists, described as “vandals, fanatical fascists”. On Twitter and in the media, the Brazilian president said: “The putschists who promoted the destruction of public property in Brasilia are being identified and will be punished” along with “those who financed these demonstrations”.

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Images of the attacks in Brazil

What happened in Brazil?

It was an attack that had been feared since the presidential victory of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brazil in October 2022. But it was not until January 8, 2023, a week after the inauguration of the new head of state, that supporters of Jair Bolsonaro invade and try to take control of places of power. In Brasilia, the presidential palace of Planalto, the Congress and the Supreme Court have been stormed by hundreds of far-right activists who still do not recognize Lula’s victory in the presidential election which saw the dismissal of Jair Boslonaro. For more than four hours a human tide swept through the institutions before federal law enforcement managed to evacuate the three buildings and arrest hundreds of people. 400 pro-Bolsonaro activists were arrested according to the latest information on Monday morning.

Jair Bolsonaro’s activists had been camping for several days, some since the election of Lula da Silva as head of the country in October 2022, in front of the institutions that are the presidential palace, the Congress, which brings together the Senate and the Chamber, and the Supreme Court, the highest court in Brazil. On Sunday, many rushed to the buildings breaking the defensive lines and security cordons formed by the forces of order. Dozens and then hundreds of people dressed in yellow and green, the national colors and symbols of the Bolsonarist camp, managed to gain access to the buildings. The images of this takeover attempt show the putsch Bolsonarists occupying the roof of the Congress as well as the lobby of the building and others breaking the windows of the Planalto Palace to gain access to the buildings.

This Monday, January 9, the army is mobilized in the streets of the capital, which has become calm again. Back in Brasilia after his trip to Sao Paulo, Lula assured to get back to work today. The left-wing politician as a defender of democracy also assured on Twitter that: “The putschists who promoted the destruction of public property in Brasilia are being identified and will be punished” as well as “those who financed these demonstrations”. He strongly condemns this assault led by “vandals, fanatical fascists” and “unprecedented in the history of Brazil”, which is reminiscent of that of the Capitol in the United States which occurred two years earlier. Former President Jair Bolsonaro is held responsible for this putsch attempt according to the head of the State which accuses its former rival of having encouraged such a demonstration by its speeches.

As law enforcement was overwhelmed and pushed back by violent demonstrations by rioters, federal reinforcements were sent in from the Brasilia district to dislodge pro-Bolsonaro protesters. This Monday, January 9, the Brazilian army is mobilized in the streets of Brasilia.

Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters singled out

Jair Bolsonaro is partly responsible for the riots and attempts to invade Brazilian places of power according to Lula. And the former head of state, placed on the far right of the political spectrum, took several hours before speaking out on the assault on the presidential palace, Congress and the Supreme Court. On Twitter, the politician first timidly condemned the assaults, recalling that “the depredations and invasions of public buildings as they occurred” do not fall within the framework of democracy. As for his responsibility, Jair Bolsonaro denounces accusations without evidence. However, several speeches by the former Brazilian president, a refugee in the United States and more precisely in Miami, Florida since December 31, make good mention of an insurrection against the government of Lula.

If the former president is found responsible, the governor of Brasilia and ally of Jair Boslonaro Ibaneis Rocha has been suspended from office for 90 days because of security breaches. However, the elected official had apologized to Lula during the insurrection movement dissociating himself from the Bolsonarist camp like other politicians close to the former head of state. “We were monitoring all these movements with the Minister (of Justice, editor’s note) Flavio Dino (…) At no time did we think that these demonstrations would take on such proportions”, indicated Ibaneis Rocha reports theAFP. Before being relieved of his duties, the elected official also dismissed the leader of the federal police Anderson Torres. Some members of federal law enforcement have been accused of complicity with pro-Bolsonaro protesters.



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