On January 8th, the Brazilian government and the international community were left in shock as hundreds of supporters of former leader Jair Bolsonaro invaded the capital buildings of the Congress, Supreme Court, and the presidential palace. The attack’s aftermath left the buildings in tatters. According to CNN Brasil, protesters attempting to set fire to the carpet in the Congress building resulted in the activation of the sprinkler system, causing flooding on the floor. Additionally, videos show protesters inside the building vandalizing and destroying artwork as well as stealing gifts from international delegations. The Presidential Communications Minister of Brazil, Paulo Pimenta, reported that there was evidence of blood, urine, and feces found in palace rooms. Pimenta described the protesters as behaving “like a horde of zombies… running through hallways, smashing things, urinating, defecating, in the corridors and rooms in one destruction spree.”
The police used tear gas in their efforts to retake control of the buildings that were occupied by protesters. Television footage showed police escorting protesters with their hands tied behind their backs out of the presidential palace. By the early evening, after authorities were able to regain control of the buildings, Brazilian Justice Minister Flavio Dino told reporters that there had been roughly 200 people arrested for crimes connected to the invasion.The following day, he then reported that the number had risen to 1,500 people.
The breaches occurred one week after the inauguration of Lula da Silva, who had returned to the presidency after a 12-year absence following his victory over Bolsonaro in the run-off election on October 30th. Many of the insurrectionists had been gathered in front of the federal army headquarters since October, when Bolsonaro lost a close election to Lula. Supporters were led by Bolsonaro, a right-wing populist, to believe that the election was fraudulent. Subsequently, they urged the army to stage a coup. Perhaps realizing there was no support coming, bolsonaristas — the name given to Bolsonaro sympathizers — put together their own plan.
Despite occurring during a congressional recess, during which most governmental buildings were left vacant, the attack bore striking similarities to the storming of the United States capital on January 6th, 2021. Followers of former President Donald Trump also had protested the election results, similarly claiming that the election was stolen. Political analysts have warned of a similar storming for months, as Bolsnaro continued to spew doubts about the nation’s voting system, although with no evidence. Ironically, the election results were recognized by many politicians and foreign governments as legitimate, including some of Bolsnaro’s political allies.
Videos posted on social media also showed a limited military presence at the capital. One showed officers standing idle as people flooded past them into the buildings, with one even using his phone to record the chaos. The capital’s security secretariat did not respond to requests inquiring about the lack of police.
“Brazilian authorities had two years to learn the lessons from the United States Capitol invasion and to prepare themselves for something similar in Brazil,” said Maurício Santoro, a political science professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro. “Local security forces in Brasilia failed in a systematic way to prevent and to respond to extremist actions in the city. And the new federal authorities, such as the ministers of justice and of defense, were not able to act in a decisive way.”
The Federal District Governor Ibaneis Rocha confirmed on Twitter that the capital city’s head of public security, Anderson Torres, had been fired. Local media reported that Torres is currently staying in the United States. The office of Lula’s attorney general had even asked the Supreme Court to order for Torres’ imprisonment.
“Two years since Jan. 6, Trump’s legacy continues to poison our hemisphere,” U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, who takes part in the Senate’s foreign relations committee, tweeted. “Protecting democracy & holding malign actors to account is essential.”
By Daniel Seong
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