The Brazilian government dismissed 13 military personnel in charge of security, as part of the purge ordered by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after the January 8 coup attempt in Brasilia.
The news was published in the Official Gazette on Wednesday, a day after the announcement of the exemption of 40 military personnel working at the presidential headquarters in Alvorada in the capital, where the presidential headquarters, Congress and the Supreme Court were vandalized by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
And the military who were dismissed yesterday, Wednesday, are from the Institutions Security Council; The government body charged with assisting the president in his national security and defense policy.
In his most recent statement, Lula da Silva said that the various intelligence services made several mistakes while storming the institutions, and none of them warned us.
This comes a week after the 77-year-old Brazilian president confirmed his lack of confidence in some members of the security forces in charge of his security.
Last Thursday, Lula da Silva announced a “comprehensive” review of the staff assigned to the presidency, saying he was convinced that those who stormed the Planalto presidential palace had received help from within.
The Brazilian president – who belongs to the left – said, “I am convinced that the gate to the Planalto Palace was opened so that the protesters could enter, because no door was removed,” and stressed that “this means that someone facilitated their entry.”
And the new Brazilian president asked: “How can I have someone in front of my office door who can shoot me?” Expressing his belief that “the palace was full of Bolsonarians” in reference to the former main right-winger.
“I don’t know if the former president (Jair Bolsonaro) ordered (the riots)… What I do know is that he is responsible because he spent 4 years inciting people to hate,” Lula da Silva added.
An investigation with the former president
And the Brazilian Supreme Court agreed a few days ago to open an investigation with former President Jair Bolsonaro over what was reported about his role in encouraging anti-democratic protests, which ended with his supporters storming government buildings in Brasilia.
The Supreme Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that Bolsonaro – who is currently in the United States – will be investigated by prosecutors for alleged “incitement and intellectual authorship of anti-democratic acts that led to vandalism and violence in Brasilia.”
The Supreme Court has already ordered the arrest of former Justice Minister Anderson Torres for allowing protests to take place in the Brazilian capital after he assumed responsibility for public security in Brasilia.
Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters vandalized the Supreme Court, Congress and the presidential palace on January 8, in an attempt to foment chaos and a military coup that would overthrow President Lula da Silva and return the right-wing leader to power.
After losing the Brazilian elections last October to Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro left Brazil for the United States on the eve of the end of his term to avoid handing over the presidential sash to his left-wing rival upon his inauguration.
Anderson Torres – who, like Bolsonaro, is in Florida – said he plans to return to Brazil to turn himself in. Bolsonaro also said on social media that he will go ahead with his return to Brazil.
An official of the right-wing Liberal Party – to which Bolsonaro belongs told Reuters last Saturday – that the party decided to strengthen its team of lawyers in preparation for the defense of the former president.
