Shortly before three in the afternoon in Brazil (19:00 in mainland Spain), thousands of demonstrators gathered on the Esplanade of the Ministries, in the center of Brasilia, and stormed the buildings of the Congress, the Executive Branch and the Court Supreme. The premises are separated by a few tens of meters, around the Plaza de los tres poderes. A week ago, in the same place, about 300,000 people attended the swearing-in as president of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Instead, the people who invaded the room this Sunday responded to the former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, defeated by Lula at the polls.
Who carried out the attack?
The Bolsonarists camped for two months in front of the headquarters of the Armed Forces in Brasilia to call for a coup against Lula. They consider themselves victims, without any proof, of a colossal electoral fraud. The thesis of the attackers is the same as that of Bolsonaro, who has not acknowledged defeat and has always defended the demonstrations of his followers. This Sunday, the campers decided to take action.
What consequences did it have?
The police, not expecting the attack, were quickly overwhelmed. The demonstrators entered without problems the Congress headquarters, the Planalto Palace – the seat of the Executive Power – and the building that houses the Supreme Court. Lula was not in Brasilia at the time and Parliament is on summer break (it resumes activities in February). Authorities confirmed in the evening that at least 46 people were injured in the attack. The television images also showed material damage to the structures of the institutional headquarters.
How did Lula respond?
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Lula da Silva announced in a press conference the federal intervention in Brasilia, in the hands of a governor close to Bolsonaro. The decree assumes that the central government takes control of security. Lula branded the attackers as “fascists” and accused Bolsonaro of calling for violence against Brazilian democracy. He has also promised that he will advance on the “financiers” of the revolt.
What was the international reaction?
Added to this are the international repudiations of Bolsonaro’s attack. The presidents of Latin America, the OAS, the United States, Spain and France have sent their support to Lula and called for democracy to be defended in the largest economy in the region. The coup plotters are alone, without external, much less internal support: the Armed Forces have remained silent and well-known Bolsonaro politicians have demonstrated against what they have defined as a “terrorist” attack. Bolsonaro is silent from the United States, where he went on December 30 to avoid participating in the handover to his successor.
How did the assault end?
After five hours of operations, the police regained control of Congress, the Planalto Palace and the seat of the Supreme Court. At least 300 people have been arrested. Now they face up to 12 years in prison for attempted coup. The damage inside the buildings is important, according to Brazilian news reports. Broken glass, vandalized offices, papers everywhere: the image of an invasion.
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