Brazilian Capital in Uproar: Former President Bolsonaro Blamed

The cover image of this article is from autoexpress.co.uk.

Thousands of Jair Bolsonaro's supporters, Brazil's far-right former president, stormed the country's congress, presidential palace and supreme court on Sunday, bringing back memories of the US Capitol invasion two years ago by Donald Trump's loyalists.

Around 6.30pm local time, after reports of the invasion, security forces launched a successful effort to take back the three buildings. TV images showed many rioters being hauled off in handcuffs. Brasília’s governor, Ibaneis Rocha, said 400 people had been arrested in connection with the attacks.

In response to the invasion, the leftist President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, declared a federal security intervention in Brasília that will last until the 31 January. This was after the capital security forces were initially overwhelmed by the invaders. Lula had previously beaten Bolsonaro in the election run-offs last year.

On social media, Bolsonaro painted himself as a victim of Lula's claims and stated that peaceful demonstrations are part of democracy, but that "depredations and invasions of public buildings" like what happened that day should not be accepted. He stopped short of condemning the mob and went on to criticize Lula's statements.

At a press conference, Lula accused Bolsonaro of having allowed "fascists" to cause chaos in the capital. He said that what happened that Sunday had never been seen in Brazil's history. He then announced that those responsible will be tracked down and punished.

Sunday's display of thousands of demonstrators wearing yellow and green shirts in the capital highlighted the tension between the two leaders since the October vote. Bolsonaro had been spreading false claims about election fraud and the electronic voting system, leading to the creation of a violent movement of "election deniers". 48 hours prior to the end of his mandate, he had already left for Florida, not attending Lula's inauguration.

The violence in Brasília raised the legal risks Bolsonaro would face. It has also caused trouble for the US as they deliberate over how to handle Bolsonaro's stay in Florida. Democrats Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Joaquin Castro called for his extradition from the US, claiming that he should not have been given refuge. The US President Joe Biden also issued a statement condemning the "assault on democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil", and highlighting the US's support for Brazil's democratic institutions.

The supreme court building was ransacked by the occupiers, as per images shared on social media, showing protesters clubbing security cameras and breaking glass windows. Brasília’s governor, Ibaneis Rocha, declared the firing of the capital’s security director, Anderson Torres, Bolsonaro's Justice Minister before. On top of that, the Office of the Solicitor General requested his arrest.

The attack on Brazil's public buildings is an example of the danger of far-right radicalization, which is why Lula have been working to implement measures to guarantee the safety of Brazilians against these dangerous individuals. The ex-president is also taking whatever steps necessary to hold the culprits accountable for the brutal attack.