On Sunday three public buildings in Brasilia were attacked by former Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro. The new president, Lula, said justice will be done.
Seven days after Brazil inaugurated its new president, riots occured in the streets of the capital, Brasilia. Thousands of supporters of Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, assaulted three government buildings, an event reminiscent of the 2021 assault to the Washington Capitol.
Bolsonaro lost the presidential election in October by a tight margin and without conceding immediately to the legitimate winner, Ignacio Lula da Silva. Lula, as the current president is known as, was already leader of Brazil between 2003 and 2010.
His victory signalled a further step to the left for the Southern American continent, as Bolsonaro was one of the last far-right heads of governments in the region. Bolsonaro was a strong supporter of Donald Trump, former US president, and often adopted similar policies.
Bolsonaro’s stances were often controversial, especially on his handling of the Covid pandemic and the further deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest. On the second round of elections, however, he lost only by 0.9%. Indeed, Lula himself was not stripped of controversies as he had been jailed for two years under corruption charges.
On January 1st, when Lula was sworn in as president in Brasilia, Bolsonaro left the country and took domicile in Florida, where he still resides now.
Responses to the riots
The riots, which took place yesterday on Sunday, targeted the National Congress, the Supreme Court and the Planalto Palace (presidential residence). All the public buildings were damaged in the exterior and the interior, including their exposition of art works.
The objective was likely to take down the newly formed Lula government, but it was promptly stopped by authorities.
Hundreds of people have been arrested and, as of Monday afternoon, 46 have been injured. Lula immediately took action, declaring it a “fascist” protest that will not go unpunished. The governor of the capital district has been fired for not taking the necessary actions to stop it from happening.
The bus companies that brought the rioters to Brasilia will also face legal consequences.
Lula, at the moment of the assault, was not in Brasilia but in Sao Paulo. And Bolsonaro? The man for which all this happened?
Former president Jair Bolsonaro remained in the United States, in fact denouncing the riots on Twitter. He declared that demonstrations were the sign of a working democracy, but not when they turn violent.
Then, on Monday afternoon, Bolsonaro was hospitalised for abdominal pain, but not enough informations are out on his conditions yet.
In any case, Bolsonaro will likely have to face the Supreme Court for these riots and could have his American visa removed at any moment.
