On Sunday, January 8, groups of supporters of the former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, forcibly seized several buildings in the capital, Brasilia, taking control of the Congress building, the Supreme Palace of the Federal Court (Supreme Court of Justice), and the Palace of Planalto, which houses both the president’s office and headquarters of the three branches of government. They demanded the nullification of the recent presidential election results, which gave the victory to Luis Inacio Lula Da Silva, and have been stationed for weeks in front of the military barracks. However, by 5:30 in the afternoon on Sunday, the situation was declared under control.
The assailants themselves have shared numerous videos on social media platforms of them carrying out acts of vandalism inside the aforementioned buildings. The videos have been appended to the end of this article.
Sunday’s attack has been compared to the one carried out by supporters of then US President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021, against the Capitol Building in Washington, DC.
Ignacio Lemus, Telesur correspondent in Brazil, pointed out that President Lula Da Silva’s absence was due to his work in Sao Paulo, where he had been leading the emergency response for those affected by recent rains. Lemus also reports that the military forces are working to disperse the demonstrators.
Intervention of the Federal District
Around five in the afternoon, President Lula, from Sao Paulo, ordered the intervention of the Federal District government, which authorizes the mobilization of the military force in that area. The person in charge of leading the intervention is Ricardo García Capelli, current executive secretary of the Ministry of Justice.
Anderson Torres, secretary of security of the Federal District and responsible for public safety in Brasilia, who was a minister during the Bolsonaro administration, was dismissed by the Federal District governor, Ibaneis Rocha. According to press reports, Torres is in the United States on vacation and had recently traveled to Orlando, where Bolsonaro is currently based. In his place, Ricardo García Cappelli was appointed as the new head of security in the Brazilian capital.
150 people have been arrested, according to local media.
The facts
According to local media, on Sunday morning, three buses were within the vicinity, carrying members of the security forces, but they lacked the capacity required to restrain the protesters, who arrived at the National Congress wearing mostly green and yellow, colors representing the Brazilian flag and their support for Bolsonaro.
Those gathered were protesting against the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who took office on January 1. Some of them referred to an excerpt from the country’s constitution, which says that “all power originates from the people.”
The president of the senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, described the actions as “undemocratic” and reported that he had a conversation with the governor of the Federal District, Ibaneis Rocha, who reported “that he is coordinating the forces of the entire police apparatus to control the situation.”
“The security forces of the Federal District, in addition to the Legislative Police of Congress, are committed to taking action. I vehemently condemn these undemocratic acts, which must be urgently subjected to full weight of the law,” Pacheco wrote on his Twitter account.
Videos
Presidential palace:
https://twitter.com/davidrkadler/status/1612167274726563841
Supreme Court
Fascismo toma el Tribunal Supremo de Brasilia. Atentos con Brasil, a esta hora Bolsonaristas en varias instalaciones estatales. pic.twitter.com/KyjaTGVMeA
— Patricia Villegas Marin (@pvillegas_tlSUR) January 8, 2023
Congress
https://twitter.com/davidrkadler/status/1612152507727499265
https://twitter.com/davidrkadler/status/1612154312582651904
https://twitter.com/davidrkadler/status/1612166212057956352
International condemnation
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, published a tweet expressing his solidarity with Lula Da Silva and demanded that the Organization of American States (OAS) issue a statement. Similar posts on social media platforms condemning the attack were also published by the presidents of Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, and Cuba, and former Bolivian President Evo Morales.
Surprisingly, Spain and the US, via similar social media posts by President Pedro Sanchez and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, respectively, condemned the incident and expressed support for the government of President Lula.
Toda mi solidaridad a @LulaOficial y al pueblo del Brasil. El fascismo decide dar un golpe.
Las derechas no han podido mantener el pacto de la no violencia.
Es hora urgente de reunion de la OEA si quiere seguir viva como institución y aplicar la carta democrática.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 8, 2023
Como presidente de la #CELAC y del #MERCOSUR, pongo en alerta a los países miembros para que nos unamos en esta inaceptable reacción antidemocrática que intenta imponerse en Brasil.
— Alberto Fernández (@alferdez) January 8, 2023
Reprobable y antidemocrático el intento golpista de los conservadores de Brasil azuzados por la cúpula del poder oligárquico, sus voceros y fanáticos. Lula no está solo, cuenta con el apoyo de las fuerzas progresistas de su país, de México, del continente americano y del mundo.
— Andrés Manuel (@lopezobrador_) January 8, 2023
Condenamos enérgicamente los actos violentos y antidemocráticos que ocurren en #Brasil, con el objetivo de generar caos e irrespetar la voluntad popular expresada con la elección del presidente Lula.
Expresamos todo nuestro respaldo y solidaridad a @LulaOficial y su gobierno.
— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) January 8, 2023
Rechazamos de manera categórica la violencia generada por los grupos neofascistas de Bolsonaro que han asaltado las instituciones democráticas del Brasil. Nuestro respaldo a @LulaOficial y al pueblo brasileño que seguramente se movilizará en defensa de la Paz y de su presidente. pic.twitter.com/6oaBXiumjx
— Nicolás Maduro (@NicolasMaduro) January 8, 2023
Condenamos y repudiamos las acciones golpistas de bolsonaristas que asaltaron el congreso y otras instituciones democráticas de #Brasil. Nuestra solidaridad con el hermano @LulaOficial y pueblo brasilero. La derecha bolsonarista sigue el ejemplo de Trump y no admite su derrota.
— Evo Morales Ayma (@evoespueblo) January 8, 2023
Todo mi apoyo al presidente @LulaOficial y a las instituciones libre y democráticamente elegidas por el pueblo brasileño.
Condenamos rotundamente el asalto al Congreso de Brasil y hacemos un llamamiento al inmediato retorno a la normalidad democrática.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) January 8, 2023
We condemn the attacks on Brazil's Presidency, Congress, and Supreme Court today. Using violence to attack democratic institutions is always unacceptable. We join @lulaoficial in urging an immediate end to these actions.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) January 8, 2023
Regional collaborative bodies such as the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America–Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA–TCP) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) also expressed their support for President Lula’s government and condemned the coup attempt.
Desde la Secretaría Ejecutiva del @ALBATCP expresamos nuestro respaldo y solidaridad al presidente @LulaOficial, frente a los actos de violencia perpetrados por grupos Neo fascistas que pretenden dar un Golpe de Estado a la democracia de Brasil y desconocer voluntad de su pueblo.
— Félix Plasencia González (@plasenciafelixr) January 8, 2023
La Presidencia Pro Tempore de la CELAC manifiesta su respaldo al Gobierno de @LulaOficial, elegido por el pueblo de Brasil, y rechaza las acciones violentas contra las instituciones democráticas brasileñas.
— Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y Caribeños (@PPT_CELAC) January 8, 2023
(Alba Ciudad) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/KZ/SL
