Brazilian police out in force as Lula vows punishment for leaders of pro-Bolsonaro rebellion

Brazilian soldiers backed by police dismantled a camp of supporters of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro in the capital on Monday, a day after rioters launched the worst attack on state institutions since the country’s return to democracy in the 1980s.

After thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace on Sunday, police in riot gear gathered at a pro-Bolsonaro camp outside Brasilia’s army headquarters, while troops destroyed tents, witnesses said. The protesters dispersed.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro’s leftist rival who took office on January 1 after narrowly winning the October elections, promised to bring those responsible for the violence to justice, after protesters broke windows and furniture, destroyed works of art and stole guns and artifacts.

Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered Brasilia’s governor to be removed from office on Sunday for 90 days over security failures. He also ordered social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and TikTok to block user accounts that spread anti-democratic propaganda.

Facebook parent Meta said there is no content that supports or praises weekend ransacking.

“Before the election, we identified Brazil as a temporary high-risk location and have removed content that calls for people to take up arms or attack congress, the presidential palace and other federal buildings,” a Meta spokesperson said.

“We have also identified this as an infringing event, which means we will remove any content that supports or praises this act,” the spokesperson said. “We are actively following the situation and will continue to remove content that violates our policies.”

The role of the Governor was questioned

The attack raised questions among allies of Lula, as he is known, about how unprepared security forces in the capital were and easily overwhelmed by rioters who had been discussing plans on social media for days to gather for weekend demonstrations.

The occupation of the government building has been planned for at least two weeks by supporters of Bolsonaro in groups on social media messaging platforms such as Telegram and Twitter, but there has been no movement of security forces to prevent the attack, which the group called “seizure”. the power of the people.”

Messages seen by Reuters during the week showed members of the group organizing meeting points in several cities across the country, from where chartered buses would depart for Brasilia, with the aim of occupying public buildings.

The plan includes a camp in front of Brasilia’s army command headquarters, where protesters have been since October.

Lula, a former union organizer who also served as president from 2003 to 2010, said local military police forces who report to Brasilia Governor Ibaneis Rocha, a former Bolsonaro ally, did nothing to stop the protesters from advancing.

Lula ruled out federal intervention in public security in the capital and promised exemplary punishment for the leaders of “fascist” attacks aimed at provoking a military coup that could restore Bolsonaro to power.

“Everyone who does this will be found and punished,” Lula told reporters from the state of Sao Paulo.

He blamed Bolsonaro for inflaming his supporters with a campaign of baseless allegations of electoral fraud after the end of his government, which was marked by divisive nationalist populism.

Bolsonaro is now in the US

From Florida, where Bolsonaro flew 48 hours before his term ends, the former president denied the allegations. He said on Twitter that peaceful demonstrations were democratic but the invasion of government buildings “crossed the line.”

Police retook damaged public buildings in the capital after three hours and dispersed the crowd with tear gas.

Justice Minister Flavio Dino said the investigation will find out who financed the several hundred buses that brought Bolsonaro’s supporters to Brasilia and also investigate Rocha for not preparing security.

Bolsonaro faces legal risks from several investigations before the Supreme Court in Brazil, and his future in the United States, where he travels on a visa issued only to sitting presidents, is in question.

“Bolsonaro should not be in Florida,” US congressman Joaquin Castro, a Democrat, said on CNN. “The United States should not be a haven for these authoritarians who have inspired domestic terrorism in Brazil. They should be sent back to Brazil.”

The invasion was reminiscent of the attack on the US Capitol two years ago by supporters of former president Donald Trump, who often praised Bolsonaro’s leadership.

Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who is facing prison time in the US for refusing a subpoena from a congressional committee investigating a US attack in 2021, aired allegations of voter fraud in the Brazilian election on his podcast. Bannon has a long relationship with the former leader’s son, Eduardo Bolsonaro.

Sunday’s attack was condemned by several world leaders and governments.

At the North American Leaders Summit in Mexico, a joint statement was released Monday from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, US President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador.

“Canada, Mexico, and the United States condemn the January 8 attack on Brazilian democracy and the peaceful transfer of power,” the three leaders said. “We stand with Brazil as it safeguards its democratic institutions. Our government supports the free will of the people of Brazil. We look forward to working with President Lula on delivering for our country, the Western Hemisphere, and beyond.”