Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who refuse to accept his electoral defeat stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and presidential palace in the capital today, just a week after the inauguration of his rival, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Thousands of demonstrators bypassed security barricades, climbed on the roofs, broke windows and invaded all three buildings, which are connected through the vast Three Powers square in Brasilia. Some are calling for a military intervention to restore the far-right Bolsonaro to power.
The Brazilian Congress and the Supreme Court had limited personnel inside the buildings, and President Silva was not in residence at the presidential palace.
Bolsonaro supporters have been protesting against Lula’s electoral win since October 30, blocking roads, setting vehicles on fires and gathering outside military buildings, asking armed forces to intervene. Many believed election results were fraudulent or unreliable. Bolsonaro, who fled to the U.S. ahead of Lula’s inauguration, has not yet condemned or commented on the ongoing situation.
Despite the arrival of thousands of people in buses in the days preceding the attack, local authorities seemed unprepared to deal with the riot. Anderson Torres, who served as Bolsonaro's justice minister, is now the top security officer in the Brazilian capital. Video footage shows local police officers talking and taking pictures with the rioters.
Bolsonaro’s son Eduardo met Trump in November, and also spoke with Trump advisors Jason Miller and Steven Bannon, according to reports in the Washington Post. Bannon devoted several episodes of his podcast to claims of election fraud and promoted the hashtag #BrazilianSpring, an apparent attempt to encourage a mass mobilization against President Lula. On Telegram and Trump’s Truth Social network, one of the key organizers of the pro-Trump “Stop the Steal” campaign has been encouraging the crowds, writing: “Do whatever is necessary!”
Gleisi Hoffman, chairperson of Lula's Workers' Party, said the capital's government was "irresponsible" in facing the crisis. "It is a long-announced crime against democracy, the will of the vote," she said on Twitter. "Governor [Ibaneis Rocha] and his Bolsonarist security secretary are responsible for whatever happens."
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