On 8 January 2023, following the defeat of then-president
Jair Bolsonaro
Jair Messias Bolsonaro (; born 21 March 1955) is a Brazilian politician and retired military officer who has been the 38th president of Brazil since 1 January 2019. He was elected in 2018 as a member of the Social Liberal Party, which he turn ...
in the
2022 Brazilian general election
General elections were held on 2 October 2022 in Brazil to elect the president, vice president, the National Congress, the governors, vice governors, and legislative assemblies of all federative units, and the district council of Fernando de ...
, a mob of his supporters attacked Brazil's federal government buildings in the capital,
Brasília
Brasília (; ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitsche ...
. The mob invaded and vandalized the
Supreme Federal Court
The Supreme Federal Court ( pt, Supremo Tribunal Federal, , abbreviated STF) is the supreme court (court of last resort) of Brazil, serving primarily as the Constitutional Court of the country. It is the highest court of law in Brazil for consti ...
, the
National Congress building and the
Planalto Presidential Palace Planalto (Portuguese for "plateau") may refer to:
Buildings
* Palácio do Planalto, Brasília, the official seat of the President of Brazil
** The staff and offices of the executive branch of the Brazilian Government, by metonymy
Places
*Brazilia ...
in the
Three Powers Plaza, seeking to violently overthrow the democratically elected
president of Brazil
The president of Brazil ( pt, Presidente do Brasil), officially the president of the Federative Republic of Brazil ( pt, Presidente da República Federativa do Brasil) or simply the ''President of the Republic'', is the head of state and head o ...
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (; born Luiz Inácio da Silva; 27 October 1945), known mononymously as Lula, is a Brazilian politician, trade unionist, and former metalworker who is the president-elect of Brazil. A member of the Workers' Party, ...
(Lula), who had been inaugurated on 1 January. Many rioters said their purpose was to spur military leaders to launch a
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...
and disrupt the democratic
transition of power. Neither Lula nor Bolsonaro were in Brasília at the time of the attack.
The attack occurred a week after Lula's inauguration and followed several weeks of unrest from Bolsonaro's supporters. It took more than five hours for the Brazilian security forces to clear all three buildings of the rioters, which happened at 21:00
BRT
BRT may refer to:
Transportation
* Block register territory, a method for dispatching trains
* British Rail Telecommunications
* Brookhaven Rail Terminal
* Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, a former transit holding company in New York City
* Bro ...
(UTC−03:00).
The storming of the government buildings drew swift condemnation from governments around the world.
In response to the attack, at 18:00 BRT, Lula announced that he had signed a decree authorising a federal state of emergency in the Federal District through the end of January 2023.
The Congress was not in session at the time of the attacks, but it swiftly ratified the declaration by 10 January.
Background
During Bolsonaro's tenure as
president of Brazil
The president of Brazil ( pt, Presidente do Brasil), officially the president of the Federative Republic of Brazil ( pt, Presidente da República Federativa do Brasil) or simply the ''President of the Republic'', is the head of state and head o ...
, his allies and supporters floated the idea of an assault like the
United States Capitol attack of 6 January 2021 in the event Bolsonaro lost his re-election bid. Bolsonaro supporters alleged that the
2022 Brazilian general election
General elections were held on 2 October 2022 in Brazil to elect the president, vice president, the National Congress, the governors, vice governors, and legislative assemblies of all federative units, and the district council of Fernando de ...
suffered from widespread
electoral fraud
Electoral fraud, sometimes referred to as election manipulation, voter fraud or vote rigging, involves illegal interference with the process of an election, either by increasing the vote share of a favored candidate, depressing the vote share of ...
that caused Bolsonaro's loss. They claimed electronic voting machine malfunctions and deemed some voting patterns suspicious, and mistrusted election officials. The military helped oversee the election and found no signs of fraud. Supporters of Bolsonaro used social media to spread misinformation about supposed electoral fraud, further motivating the protesters.
Some military reservists voiced support for a truckers' strike before the second round of elections, including Colonel Marcos Koury, who, on , published a video encouraging a truckers'
general strike
A general strike refers to a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large co ...
before the second round.
Koury's video about the shutdowns was shared in several Bolsonarist groups on
Telegram
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
and, days later, members of these same groups started defending roadblocks after the elections.
Calls for strikes were also made on YouTube.
Trucker protests lost strength on 3 November 2022, and Bolsonaro supporters began to gather in the vicinity of
Brazilian Armed Forces
The Brazilian Armed Forces ( pt, Forças Armadas Brasileiras, ) are the unified military forces of the Federative Republic of Brazil. Consisting of three service branches, it comprises the Brazilian Army (including the Brazilian Army Aviatio ...
facilities. Demonstrations took place at military installations in the cities of
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
, Rio de Janeiro,
Brasília
Brasília (; ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitsche ...
,
Florianópolis
Florianópolis () is the capital and second largest city of the state of Santa Catarina, in the South region of Brazil. The city encompasses Santa Catarina Island and surrounding small islands, as well as part of the mainland. It has a populat ...
,
Recife
That it may shine on all ( Matthew 5:15)
, image_map = Brazil Pernambuco Recife location map.svg
, mapsize = 250px
, map_caption = Location in the state of Pernambuco
, pushpin_map = Brazil#South A ...
,
Salvador, and other cities and regions.
Some Bolsonaro supporters called for a military coup.
![Bolsominions em Ilhéus 17](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Bolsominions_em_Ilh%C3%A9us_17.jpg)
The electoral victory of
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (; born Luiz Inácio da Silva; 27 October 1945), known mononymously as Lula, is a Brazilian politician, trade unionist, and former metalworker who is the president-elect of Brazil. A member of the Workers' Party, ...
(Lula) was officially ratified by the
Superior Electoral Court
The Superior Electoral Court ( pt-BR, Tribunal Superior Eleitoral, TSE) is the highest body of the Brazilian Electoral Justice, which also comprises one Regional Electoral Court ( pt-BR, Tribunal Regional Eleitoral, TRE) in each of the 26 states ...
on 12 December 2022. Militant far-right Bolsonaro supporters stormed the
Federal Police
A law enforcement agency (LEA) is any government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.
Jurisdiction
LEAs which have their ability to apply their powers restricted in some way are said to operate within a jurisdiction.
LEAs ...
headquarters in Brasília and torched vehicles on the street after one of the protesters was arrested for inciting violence to prevent Lula's swearing-in. The police used stun grenades and tear gas to disperse them. A bombing attempt near
Brasília International Airport
Brasília–Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport is the only international airport serving Brasília. The airport was named after Juscelino Kubitschek (1902–1976), the 21st President of Brazil. It is located in the administra ...
was prevented by the police on 23 December; the suspect was arrested a day later. According to his testimony, he was motivated by Bolsonaro casting doubts on the integrity of the election process in the past. Other attacks were carried out by Bolsonaro supporters during the beginning of Lula's government.
On 2 January 2023, former Bolsonaro minister
Anderson Torres
Anderson Gustavo Torres (born in Brasília) is a Brazilian chief of police of the Federal Police of Brazil, Federal Police, who served as Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil), Minister of Justice and Public Security under Jair Bolsonar ...
was appointed as chief security official of the Federal District. Torres left Brazil on the night of 6 January for
Orlando
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rele ...
, Florida, United States, arriving there on 7 January, just hours before the attacks and one week after Bolsonaro had arrived in Orlando.
Planning and financing
Reports of a planned attack were already circulating in the first week of 2023, with audio leaked from several
WhatsApp
WhatsApp (also called WhatsApp Messenger) is an internationally available freeware, cross-platform, centralized instant messaging (IM) and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service owned by American company Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook). It allows us ...
and Telegram groups. The material obtained exposed the intention to provoke violent actions by the crowd, and circumvent police action. Several groups and communities from throughout the country arranged for transport by bus to Brasília to participate in the demonstrations. Social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
did not moderate misleading claims about the election, meaning that people who used these sites to find information about the election were presented with these misleading claims. The attack was also referred to before the fact as "Selma’s Party", a code phrase used on social media to discuss plans without arousing suspicion. Variants on the phrase were used to discuss planned riots in other cities.
Members of the
federal cabinet were aware of the rioters' plans, but were assured by Governor of the Federal District
Ibaneis Rocha that the situation was under control. The district government on 6 January planned to prevent them from reaching the
National Congress, and also closed access to its esplanade. However, Rocha changed the agreed-upon plans shortly before the protest and opened the esplanade to protesters. As a result, the security contingent which was present when the invasion began was easily overwhelmed. The plan had called for the deployment of more than 1,300 officers from the
Civil Police of the Federal District
The Civil Police of the Federal District is the police force for the Federal District of Brazil, which contains the capital Brasilia. The Civil Police report to the Governor of the Federal District and is linked to the State Secretariat of Publ ...
and about 200 officers of the
National Public Security Force
The National Public Security Force ( pt, Força Nacional de Segurança Pública) was created in 2004 and is headquartered in Brasília, in the Federal District, as a joint cooperation of various Brazilian Public Safety forces, co-ordinated by ...
, but the actual number was only in the dozens, which Rocha blamed on the public security secretary of Brasília, Anderson Torres.
''
O Estado de S. Paulo
''O Estado de S. Paulo'' (; ), also known as ''Estadão'' (; ), is a daily newspaper published in São Paulo, Brazil. It is the third largest newspaper in Brazil, and its format changed from broadsheet to berliner on October 17, 2021.
It has t ...
'' reported that the
Planalto Military Command The Planalto Military Command is one of eight Military Commands of the Brazilian Army. The Planalto Military Command or Comando Militar do Planalto (CMP), is responsible for the defence of the state Goiás, most of the state of Tocantins, the Feder ...
had rejected the need for reinforcements at the presidential palace.
Anonymous government officials told ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' that the buses that transported Bolsonaro supporters to Brasília had been paid for by donors from ten states, including some involved in the
agribusiness
Agribusiness is the industry, enterprises, and the field of study of value chains in agriculture and in the bio-economy,
in which case it is also called bio-business or bio-enterprise.
The primary goal of agribusiness is to maximize profit w ...
sector. Minister of Justice
Flávio Dino
Flávio Dino de Castro e Costa (born 30 April 1968) is a Brazilian attorney, politician and teacher. A former federal judge, Dino was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 2006, serving a four-year term until 2011, representing the state of Ma ...
stated that up to that point it had not been possible to "clearly distinguish" those responsible for financing the buses. He added: "What you can definitely say is that there was funding."
Dino later stated that the donors particularly belonged to the agribusiness sector and engaged in illegal activities.
Events
Protesters had been gathering in front of Army facilities in several Brazilian cities ever since Bolsonaro lost the presidential election to Lula in October. In Brasília, a group had camped in front of the , demanding that the Army carry out a military coup. In January, Lula's government attempted to remove these protesters. When this failed, it ordered reinforced security. That week the
minister of justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a v ...
also reiterated that the camps would be dismantled. On the morning of 7 January, more than 100 buses arrived in Brasília from all parts of Brazil, bringing in Bolsonaro supporters. They joined the 200 protesters camped in front of the Army Headquarters, raising the total number of people there to over 4,000. On the morning of January 8, Defence Minister
José Múcio visited the camp, he later said that the situation was "calm, for now"
At around 13:00
BRT
BRT may refer to:
Transportation
* Block register territory, a method for dispatching trains
* British Rail Telecommunications
* Brookhaven Rail Terminal
* Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, a former transit holding company in New York City
* Bro ...
, the demonstrators marched from the Army Headquarters,
during the march, some people were detained in front of the Ministry of Defence building and the National Stadium, with police reporting that some protesters were armed; An car passing through the march was damaged by demonstrators, and the driver was attacked with sticks; One witness reported that an protester screamed "we are going to break everything!", an protester detained by police later reported that they intended to invade the congress building.
As the protesters marched, military police escorted them, with an officer reportedly saying that they would "guarantee the security of those marching".
By the afternoon, some demonstrators had reached the Three Powers Plaza, where around 100 people concentrated,
at around 15:00 BRT (UTC−03:00), protesters broke through Military Police and (BOPE) barriers near the legislature building,
and, armed mainly with sticks and stones, confronted the military and riot police, who, while outnumbered, fired
tear gas
Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ad ...
and used
pepper spray
Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, or capsicum spray is a lachrymatory agent (a compound that irritates the eyes to cause a burning sensation, pain, and temporary blindness) used in policing, riot control, cr ...
on them.
Despite this, some members of the military police were caught being lenient with the attackers.
At around 15:10 BRT, protesters began attacking the National Congress building, where they again clashed with police, by 15:30 BRT, police began firing
tear gas
Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ad ...
against protesters as an effort to protect the buildings
The mob then attempted to enter the
Palácio do Planalto
The Palácio do Planalto () in Brasília is the official workplace of the president of Brazil.[Supreme Federal Court
The Supreme Federal Court ( pt, Supremo Tribunal Federal, , abbreviated STF) is the supreme court (court of last resort) of Brazil, serving primarily as the Constitutional Court of the country. It is the highest court of law in Brazil for consti ...](_blank)
.
The federal government estimated that around 5,000 people had taken part.
![Ataque bolsonarista de 8 de janeiro (2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Ataque_bolsonarista_de_8_de_janeiro_%282%29.png)
Senator
Veneziano do Rêgo confirmed to
CNN Brazil
CNN Brazil ( pt, CNN Brasil) is a Brazilian news-based pay television channel. Launched on 15 March 2020, CNN Brazil is owned by Novus Media, a joint-venture between Douglas Tavolaro, former header of RecordTV's news division, and Rubens Menin, ow ...
that protesters had managed to invade the Congress building. According to him, they reached the upper floor, where the domes of the
Federal Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature.
Senate or the Senate may also refer to:
* Any one of the national senates in the world, including
** The Brazilian Senate
** The United States Sen ...
and the
Chamber of Deputies
The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures.
Description
Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourbon R ...
are located, and the Green Hall of the Chamber of Deputies.
Protesters attempted to extend a green and yellow banner over the building.
Some protestors among the mob were also seen with the flag of the
Empire of Brazil
The Empire of Brazil was a 19th-century state that broadly comprised the territories which form modern Brazil and (until 1828) Uruguay. Its government was a representative parliamentary constitutional monarchy under the rule of Emperors Dom Pe ...
.
Many rioters were also seen praying and crying during the attack, while some were picking up stones from the ground using pickaxes to throw at the police.
Inside of the Congress building, protesters clashed with the and Polices, videos show the - heavily outnumbered - officers engaging in physical combat with protesters, attempting to hold them off, although the barrier is later broken, as rioters manage to take over and vandalize most of the upper part of the building. The protesters later climbed the ramp of the Congress building and reached the Supreme Federal Court building and the Palácio do Planalto, where they, in an attempt to enter the buildings, committed acts of vandalism and looting, as well as violence against the police, a situation of chaos and widespread destruction was created, videos showed protesters chanting "Break everything!", "You have to break everything!". Between 15:50 and 16:00, after several confrontations, the protesters managed to enter both buildings, where more vandalism (including destruction of artworks) and fighting ensued. In the Supreme Federal Court building, police arrested 8 protesters that attempted to enter the offices inside the building, protesters extended a Brazilian flag in the windows of the building in an attempt to protect against rubber bullets and stun grenades used by police.
By 16:25 BRT, soldiers from the National Public Security Force reached the ministries esplanade and rapidly began clearing out protesters from the region.
Soldiers from the
Brazilian Army responded. Two helicopters tried to disperse the crowd.
A
National Force
The National Force is a fictional organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Fictional history
The National Force was a neo-fascist organization masterminded by Doctor Faustus.
Faustus had recently gained cust ...
vehicle was reportedly set on fire and pushed into the
reflecting pool
A reflecting pool, also called a reflection pool, is a water feature found in gardens, parks, and memorial sites. It usually consists of a shallow pool of water, undisturbed by fountain jets, for a reflective surface.
Design
Reflecting pools are ...
of the monument during the confrontations. Several journalists were attacked during the protests. ''
Folha de São Paulo
''Folha de S.Paulo'' (sometimes spelled ''Folha de São Paulo''), also known as simply ''Folha'' (, ''Sheet''), is a Brazilian daily newspaper founded in 1921 under the name ''Folha da Noite'' and published in São Paulo by the Folha da Manhã c ...
'' photographer Pedro Ladeira was attacked and robbed by some of the rioters. A journalist for ''
Metrópoles'' was also attacked during the storming. Journalists and photographers from
BandNews, ''
O Tempo'',
AFP and
Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency was estab ...
were also attacked. Some were pushed to the ground and had their equipment stolen or damaged. At least 10 journalists and photographers from different news outlets were attacked and/or robbed during the riot.
![Ataque bolsonarista de 8 de janeiro (5)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Ataque_bolsonarista_de_8_de_janeiro_%285%29.png)
At 16:25 BRT,
Augusto Aras, Prosecutor-General of Brazil, asked the Prosecutor-General of the Federal District to open a criminal investigation.
At 17:08 BRT, the governor of the Federal District,
Ibaneis Rocha, assured that he was "taking all measures to contain the anti-democratic riot in the Esplanada dos Ministérios"; in addition, he dismissed the secretary of security of the Federal District,
Anderson Torres
Anderson Gustavo Torres (born in Brasília) is a Brazilian chief of police of the Federal Police of Brazil, Federal Police, who served as Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil), Minister of Justice and Public Security under Jair Bolsonar ...
.
At 17:50 BRT, Lula announced that he had signed a decree authorising a federal public security intervention in Brasília, to continue until 31 January.
Lula also blamed Bolsonaro for the attack during a interview.
Lula invoked Article 34, Subheading III of the Federal Constitution, which empowers the government to put an end to a serious impairment of public order. It was the third application of Article 34 of the
1988 Federal Constitution, which has previously been applied in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
and
Roraima
Roraima (, ) is one of the 26 states of Brazil. Located in the country's North Region, it is the northernmost and most geographically and logistically isolated state in Brazil. It is bordered by the state of Pará to the southeast, Amazonas ...
during the
Temer Government.
Ricardo Garcia Cappelli, executive secretary of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, was appointed as intervenor. The intervention relieved the Federal District governor,
Ibaneis Rocha, of the authority to oversee security in the district, and will last until 31 January.
![Ataque bolsonarista de 8 de janeiro](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Ataque_bolsonarista_de_8_de_janeiro.png)
By around 17:00 BRT, security forces had regained control of the Supreme Court building, though some rioters remained encamped in its parking garage. At 18:20 BRT, protesters reportedly set fire to the lawn in front of the National Congress,
Hours after the security breach, the (PMDF) reported it had begun to clear rioters out of the buildings. Police began arresting rioters en masse in the ministries esplanade by 18:20 BRT.
The Brazilian Army arrived in military trucks in the late afternoon and ambushed the intruders in the presidential palace through the back door. The rioters had left the building by 18:30 BRT, with some being escorted out by the police.
At 18:30 BRT, The
Attorney General of the Union reported that it had filed a request for Torres's arrest.
By 19:00 BRT, over 150 people had been arrested by the security forces, at least 30 of them ''
in flagrante delicto
''In flagrante delicto'' (Latin for "in blazing offence") or sometimes simply ''in flagrante'' ("in blazing") is a legal term used to indicate that a criminal has been caught in the act of committing an offence (compare ). The colloquial "caught ...
'' in the Federal Senate. Among those arrested before and during the attack, some were carrying knives, machetes, stilettos, scissors, pocket knives, slingshots with marbles and tin spheres, stakes, cloth soaked with vinegar (for use against tear gas and pepper spray), and even explosives (such as grenades), material for making
molotov cocktail
A Molotov cocktail (among several other names – ''see other names'') is a hand thrown incendiary weapon constructed from a frangible container filled with flammable substances equipped with a fuse (typically a glass bottle filled with flamma ...
s, blowtorches and fireworks, among others; some also used balaclavas, gas masks, gloves, ski masks, and protective equipment, possibly as an effort to hide their identities.
![Ataque bolsonarista de 8 de janeiro (3)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Ataque_bolsonarista_de_8_de_janeiro_%283%29.png)
The minister of justice,
Flávio Dino
Flávio Dino de Castro e Costa (born 30 April 1968) is a Brazilian attorney, politician and teacher. A former federal judge, Dino was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 2006, serving a four-year term until 2011, representing the state of Ma ...
, later announced in a press conference that approximately 200 people were arrested ''in flagrante delicto'', and that new arrests were still being made; according to Dino, several buses to Brasília, and their financiers, had been investigated and identified. Federal District governor, Ibaneis Rocha, in a publication on a social network, stated that more than 400 people had been arrested. Security forces managed to retake the National Congress by evening, after mounted police arrived using batons to disperse protesters. Justice Minister Flávio Dino announced by 21:00 BRT that all three buildings had been cleared.
At the time of the riots, neither Lula nor Bolsonaro were in Brasília: Lula was in
Araraquara
Araraquara ( or ) is a city in the state of São Paulo (state), São Paulo in Brazil. The population is 250.314 (2022 est.) in an area of . It is also known as "the abode of the sun," because of its impressive sunset and because of its hot atmosphe ...
, city in the interior of
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
, with the mayor Edinho Silva and ministers
Luiz Marinho
Luiz Marinho (born 20 May 1959 in Cosmorama) is a Brazilian politician and unionist. He was minister of Labor and Employment and minister of Social Security in the government of president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He also was mayor of São Bern ...
,
Jader Filho and
Waldez Goés, surveying the city after heavy rains in the municipality; Bolsonaro was in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
, in the United States, where he had been since the last days of 2022, even before the end of his term.
Aftermath
Damage and theft
A number of important spaces in the three stormed buildings were extensively vandalized and looted, including the Noble Hall and Plenary of the Federal Supreme Court, the Green, Blue and Black Halls and the lobby of the Congress, as well as the Noble Hall and the
First Lady
First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...
's office at the Planalto Palace. Many other spaces, such as corridors, windows, rooms and offices, were also vandalised, damaging a large amount of furniture, equipment and other objects. Several spaces were completely destroyed. According to an official, the invaders destroyed fire hydrants, in an attempt to prevent the fight against fires that existed at various points of the invasion.
In addition to structural damage, several works of art, mainly paintings, vases and historical objects (such as chairs, clocks, carpets and tables) were
damaged, stolen or destroyed during the attack In the Planalto, the desk used by former president
Juscelino Kubitschek
Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira (; 12 September 1902 – 22 August 1976), also known by his initials JK, was a prominent Brazilian politician who served as the 21st president of Brazil from 1956 to 1961. His term was marked by economic prosp ...
was reported destroyed after it was used in a barricade, and ', a painting by modernist
Emiliano Di Cavalcanti
Emiliano Augusto Cavalcanti de Albuquerque Melo (September 6, 1897 – October 26, 1976), known as Di Cavalcanti, was a Brazilian painter who sought to produce a form of Brazilian art free of any noticeable European influences. His wife was the ...
, was stabbed repeatedly.
"A Justiça", a statue by Alfredo Ceschiatti, was sprayed with graffiti,
"Araguaia", a stained glass window by Marianne Peretti, was damaged,
"A Bailarina", sculpture by Victor Brecheret, was taken by a protester, but later found damaged on the ground, and an clock made by made by Balthazar Martinot, which was given by the French court to
John VI of Portugal
, house = Braganza
, father = Peter III of Portugal
, mother = Maria I of Portugal
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Queluz Palace, Queluz, Portugal
, death_date =
, death_place = Bemposta Palace, Lisbon, Portugal
, ...
, was thrown to the ground by a protester, who was later arrested by police.
A soccer ball signed by
Neymar
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (born 5 February 1992), known as Neymar, is a Brazilian professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Paris Sain ...
was stolen by a protester, but it was later recovered by the Federal Police. A golden shell with a pearl, which was a gift by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar,
Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, was taken by rioters, while a decoration in the shape of an ostrich egg, a gift by Ahmed Ibrahim El-Tahir, the President of the Sudanese National Assembly, was destroyed; two vases, given by Lászlo Kövér, President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Hungary, and
Wang Zhaoguo
Wang Zhaoguo (; born 14 July 1941) is a retired Chinese politician who came to prominence during the era of Deng Xiaoping. An automobile factory technician by trade, Wang had a long and varied political career, known for having acquired a minist ...
, Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the
National People's Congress
The National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China (NPC; ), or simply the National People's Congress, is constitutionally the supreme state authority and the national legislature of the People's Republic of China.
With 2, ...
of the People's Republic of China, to
Marco Maia, President of the Chamber of Deputies, were also destroyed during the invasion. A bust of
Ruy Barbosa, as well as a carpet that was owned by
Princess Isabel (and several other carpets, which were innundated by anti-fire systems), were also damaged by protesters. Furniture brought from the
Monroe Palace (such as desks and chairs) was damaged, as well as an inkwell (from the times of the Empire of Brazil), an Persian carpet, an crucifix, and the chair used by Rosa Weber, designed by Jorge Zalszupin,
Electronic devices – including laptops, phones, desktops, printers, photographic lens and televisions – were also damaged or stolen by protesters; others, such as a copy of the original 1988 constitution book and an
Coat of arms of Brazil
The coat of arms of Brazil ( pt, Brasão de Armas do Brasil) was created on 19 November 1889, four days after Brazil became a republic. It consists of the central emblem surrounded by coffee ('' Coffea arabica'', at the left) and tobacco (''Nic ...
, were initially taken by the rioters, but were later found among the rubble in the building of the Supreme Federal Court. The offices of the
Workers' Party and of the
Brazilian Social Democracy Party
The Brazilian Social Democracy Party ( pt, Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira, PSDB), also known as the Brazilian Social Democratic Party or the Party of Brazilian Social Democracy,. is a political party in Brazil
Brazil has a multi-pa ...
in the Congress building were also invaded and vandalised by the mob. The office of Alexandre de Moraes was vandalized, its door was sprayed with graffiti, and his closet's door was taken by an protester; other offices inside the building were also vandalized, with some chairs and desks being taken by protesters to be used in barricades.
Rioters urinated and defecated in the press areas of the Congress building.
Protesters also stole weapons, munitions and documents from the Cabinet of Institutional Security in the Planalto. In an interview with CNN Brasil, Senator
Randolfe Rodrigues said five abandoned grenades were found after the invasion, three of which were left at the Supreme Federal Court and two at the Congress complex.
Power sabotage
On 9 January 2023 (one day after the Brasilia attacks), three
transmission towers in the states of
Rondônia
Rondônia () is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the northern subdivision of the country (central-western part). To the west is a short border with the state of Acre, to the north is the state of Amazonas, in the east is Mato Grosso, ...
and
Paraná (both of which are Bolsonaro's strongholds) were pulled down and cut off of Brazil's
power grid
An electrical grid is an interconnected network for electricity delivery from producers to consumers. Electrical grids vary in size and can cover whole countries or continents. It consists of:Kaplan, S. M. (2009). Smart Grid. Electrical Power ...
. In the most serious incident, one tower connecting Brazil's mega hydropower plant
Itaipu to the country's grid was damaged by a tractor.
According to the Brazilian National Electricity watchdog (ANEEL), no storm or natural disaster happened in those areas to sustain a natural cause for the towers collapse, which raised suspicions among government officials that some acts of sabotage by Bolsonaro supporters were underway to knock out power. An additional tower in the interior of
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
state was damaged on 13 January. However, alternative towers were switched on and no effective power cut took place in all the incidents.
Legal action
After the federal buildings were retaken, Justice of the Supreme Court
Alexandre de Moraes
Alexandre de Moraes (; born 13 December 1968 in São Paulo) is a Brazilian jurist, currently serving as president of the Superior Electoral Court and as a justice of the Supreme Federal Court.
Life
Married with three children, Alexandre de Mor ...
suspended governor of the Federal District Ibaneis Rocha for 90 days, due to the shortcomings in security preparedness. He also ordered clearing of camps set up by protesters outside military bases within 24 hours, clearing of all roads and buildings occupied by them, and removal of all anti-democratic posts by Bolsonaro supporters from Facebook, Twitter and
TikTok
TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes.
TikTok is an international version ...
.
The police started clearing the protest camps near army bases throughout the country on 9 January. Soldiers backed by the police dismantled a camp outside the army headquarters in Brasília, which had been used as a base by those who had attacked the Three Powers Plaza. They arrested around 1,400 people before, during and after the attack;
684 of them were later released on humanitarian grounds. An earlier attempt by federal government officials to arrest suspects involved in the attack at the camp on the night of 8 January was blocked by the Brazilian Army commander
Júlio Cesar de Arruda.
Arrest warrants for around 50 people allegedly involved in the invasion were issued, according to Justice Minister Flávio Dino.
On 10 January, Moraes issued arrest warrants for the former public security secretary of Brasília
Anderson Torres
Anderson Gustavo Torres (born in Brasília) is a Brazilian chief of police of the Federal Police of Brazil, Federal Police, who served as Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil), Minister of Justice and Public Security under Jair Bolsonar ...
, and the Federal District Military Police chief, Fabio Augusto Vieira. The Justice Ministry stated that the police had found a draft presidential decree authorizing Bolsonaro to overturn the elections by implementing a "state of defense" on the
Superior Electoral Court
The Superior Electoral Court ( pt-BR, Tribunal Superior Eleitoral, TSE) is the highest body of the Brazilian Electoral Justice, which also comprises one Regional Electoral Court ( pt-BR, Tribunal Regional Eleitoral, TRE) in each of the 26 states ...
while searching the house of Torres. His lawyer claimed that the draft was a proposal by civilians and was never submitted to Bolsonaro, while Torres stated that it was taken out of context and was going to be eventually shredded. The National Congress meanwhile authorized Lula's decree for federal intervention in Brasília and Deputy Justice Minister
Ricardo Cappelli's appointment to oversee it.
President Lula announced a security review of officials posted at the presidential palace on 12 January. He said that he believed that doors had been deliberately left unlocked in the attack, and that no hardcore Bolsonaro supporter would be allowed to work in the building.
Moraes on 13 January agreed to include Bolsonaro as part of the investigation into the riots over him questioning the legitimacy of the elections on 10 January. Torres was arrested on the following day after returning to Brasília.
The office of the
Prosecutor General of Brazil
A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal tria ...
presented charges against the accused for the first time on 17 January, charging 39 people with armed criminal association, violent attempt to subvert the democratic state of law, staging a coup and damage to public property. In an interview on 18 January, Lula blamed the intelligence services of the
armed forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
and the
Brazilian Intelligence Agency
The Brazilian Intelligence Agency ( pt, Agência Brasileira de Inteligência, ABIN) is the main intelligence agency in Brazil. ABIN's mission is to ensure that the Federal Executive has access to knowledge related to the security of the State a ...
for failing to alert him to the possibility of an attack.
He dismissed Arruda from the post of commander of the army on 21 January, replacing him with Tomás Miguel Ribeiro Paiva.
Fines and damages
Since 9 January 2023 several lawsuits have been filed aiming to
compensate and/or impose fines over the
property damage
Property damage (or cf. criminal damage in England and Wales) is damage or destruction of real or tangible personal property, caused by negligence, willful destruction, or act of nature.
It is similar to vandalism and arson (destroying propert ...
caused by the attackers, and their
financers. Over $14 million BRL (nearly $2 million
USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
) in public property were lost during the attacks according to the
Attorney General of Brazil
The Attorney General Office ( pt, Advocacia-Geral da União, AGU) is a cabinet-level position in the Brazilian government charged with advising the Executive Branch and representing the federal government of Brazil in legal proceedings egally kno ...
who has successfully asked to freeze 18.5 million BRL (approximately $3.5 million USD) from persons and companies who financed the perpetrators.
Reactions
See also
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Right-wing terrorism
Right-wing terrorism, hard right terrorism, extreme right terrorism or far-right terrorism is terrorism that is motivated by a variety of different right-wing and far-right ideologies, most prominently, it is motivated by neo-Nazism, anti-commun ...
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2017 Venezuelan National Assembly attack
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2017 storming of the Macedonian Parliament
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2019 Indonesian election protests
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2019 South Korean Capitol attack
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2022 Iraq parliament attack
On 27 July 2022, hundreds of Iraqi demonstrators supporting Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed the Council of Representatives of Iraq building located in the Green Zone in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. The storming, known as the "Ashura Re ...
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2022 German coup d'état plot
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List of coups and coup attempts in Brazil
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Proclamation of the Brazilian Republic
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Brazilian Revolution of 1930
The Revolution of 1930 () was an armed insurrection across Brazil that ended the Old Republic. The revolution replaced incumbent President Washington Luís with defeated presidential candidate and revolutionary leader Getúlio Vargas, concludi ...
**
1937 Brazilian coup d'état
The 1937 Brazilian coup d'état (), also known as the ''Estado Novo'' coup (), was a military coup led by President Getúlio Vargas with the support of the Brazilian Armed Forces on 10 November 1937. Vargas had risen to power in 1930 with ...
**
1945 Brazilian coup d'état
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1964 Brazilian coup d'état
The 1964 Brazilian coup d'état ( pt, Golpe de estado no Brasil em 1964), colloquially known in Brazil as the Coup of 64 ('), was a series of events in Brazil from March 31 to April 1 that led to the overthrow of President João Goulart by membe ...
References
External links
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