President Joe Biden and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday spoke by phone after violent protests in the Brazilian capital echoed the January 6, 2021 uprising at the US Capitol.
“President Biden sends the unwavering support of the United States for Brazilian democracy and for the free will of the Brazilian people as expressed in Brazil’s new presidential election, which President Lula won,” the White House said in a statement.
Lula accepted Biden’s invitation to visit Washington early next month to discuss issues affecting the two countries, the statement added.
Biden earlier condemned the protesters who stormed several buildings in Brasilia on Sunday, demanding the reinstatement of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who lost last year’s election to Lula, or the dismissal of Lula.
Bolsonaro, who has been living in Florida since December, was hospitalized in Orlando after suffering abdominal pain, which his wife said was related to a stab wound he sustained during a 2018 campaign event.
Brazilian police arrested about 1,500 people in connection with pro-Bolsonaro attacks on Sunday at the Supreme Court, the Capitol building and the presidential palace.
Brazilians took to the streets Monday in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo to demand that the rioters face consequences.
Lula blamed members of Brazil’s police and intelligence officials for aiding the violence, accusing them of neglecting their “duty” and saying officers talked to rioters, according to The Washington Post.