Brazilian institutions close siege against terrorists who attacked Brasilia

By Iara Vidal

Responses to attacks by coup supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro come from several fronts of the Republic

In a meeting with deputies and senators this Wednesday morning (11), the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, thanked the approval of the intervention project in the security of the Federal District, decreed after the terrorist acts of last Sunday (8) . He also criticized former president Jair Bolsonaro for being the first president after the country’s redemocratization not to recognize defeat at the polls.

“Unfortunately, the president who left power on the 31st does not want to admit defeat. Even today I saw statements from him not acknowledging defeat. In other words, I can only consider a group of crazy people, a group of people with little sense of the ridiculous, because they have already entered the Court and the Court has already dismissed their process and condemned the party that filed the question to pay a large fine.”
President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Lula also explained again the lies in series told by his predecessor, which incite supporters to defend the coup and culminated in terrorist acts. “There are people who, when they tell a lie, can’t stop lying because they have to justify the first lie. And that’s what’s happening in this country”.

President Lula also promised to punish “any gesture that goes against Brazilian democracy” and thanked the parliamentarians for the approval of the decree of intervention in the security of the DF. “I wouldn’t have wanted to intervene. I would have liked to have done it by talking, but the people who were there weren’t even willing to talk because they were part of those who were practicing vandalism in Brazil”.

Supreme Court action

Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) and who also presides over the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), determined that federal and state authorities and security forces prevent any traffic blockage and invasion of public buildings. Moraes ordered the arrest of anyone who fails to comply with the decision.

The magistrate fully complied with the request of the Attorney General of the Union, Jorge Messias, and the Deputy Attorney General of the Republic Carlos Frederico Santos, coordinator of the Criminal Chamber of the Federal Public Ministry. By the minister’s decision, the right to demonstrate is temporarily restricted to avoid the repetition of depredatory acts, such as those that occurred last Sunday (8) in the palaces of Planalto, the National Congress and the STF.

Moraes also ordered, this Tuesday (10), the arrests of the former Minister of Justice of the Bolsonaro government, Anderson Torres, and the former commander of the Military Police of the Federal District (DF), Colonel Fábio Augusto Vieira.

The colonel was responsible for commanding the corporation last Sunday (8) when Brasília was the target of coup attacks; and Anderson Torres headed the police since he was the DF’s Public Security Secretary.

Torres said this Tuesday on his social network that he will interrupt his vacation, return to Brazil and surrender himself to Justice. On the same day, Federal Police vehicles were seen in front of Torres’ house, in Brasília. He is on vacation in Orlando, in the United States, the same city where former President Jair Bolsonaro lives.

AGU action

The Advocacy General of the Union (AGU) created a group to monitor the investigations of terrorist acts in Praça dos Três Poderes. Among the prerogatives of the Special Group for the Defense of Democracy (GEDD) is the possibility of determining the breach of bank, tax, telephone and other information secrecy. The group will be coordinated by the special advisory of the Attorney General of the Union, Jorge Rodrigo Araújo Messias.

Bolsonaro incites scammers

Former President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been in the US since December 31, when he fled the country on the eve of President Lula’s inauguration and losing the privileged forum, has again questioned the result of the election in which he was defeated and endorsed the coup d’état.

The far-right radical published on his Facebook, on Tuesday night (11), a video in which Bolsonarist attorney Felipe Gimenez states that “Lula was not elected, but chosen by the STF and TSE”.

This is fake news, since Lula’s victory was attested even by a report by the military after the investigation by the Brazilian Electoral Court and international observers. Heads of State from all over the world recognize the result that gave victory to Lula, who graduated, took office and is governing.

Bolsonaro’s post, which challenges Brazilian justice, as there are numerous actions to curb the dissemination of fake news, is also an endorsement of the coup d’état by his supporters. This is because the video in question was released just two days after the terrorist uprising of Bolsonaristas in Brasília and while these radicals are planning new anti-democratic acts.

When making the publication questioning the election result, Bolsonaro reinforces that he is the mastermind of the coup acts of terrorists who invaded the headquarters of the Powers in the federal capital last Sunday (8). It is precisely for this reason that, on Monday (9), Senator of the Republic Renan Calheiros filed a petition with the STF requesting that the Supreme Court oblige the former representative to return to Brazil so that he can be investigated in the investigation of anti-democratic acts.

Collapsed Power Towers

The National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel), the body responsible for Brazil’s energy infrastructure, reported on Tuesday (10) the fall of three power transmission towers in the states of Paraná, in the south, and Rondônia, in the north. Three other towers were damaged.

Aneel does not rule out vandalism and sabotage in the incidents. The cases occurred from Sunday night to Tuesday morning. According to the National Electrical System Operator (ONS), the body responsible for coordinating energy distribution in Brazil, the falls do not affect the energy supply of the States until Tuesday morning. The Ministry of Mines and Energy set up a crisis office to investigate the causes, possible culprits and potential damage to other structures.

Dismantle fake news of mistreatment of arrested scammers

Reports of mistreatment and violence to which coup plotters arrested on Sunday and Monday were alleged to have participated in the invasion and depredation of the palaces of the three powers, were denied by the Public Ministry of the Federal District and Territories (MPDFT ).

A report prepared by the Prison System Control and Inspection Nucleus (Nupri), of the MPDFT, did not identify any arbitrariness in the conditions granted to prisoners who were provisionally detained at the National Academy of Federal Police until the early morning of this Wednesday (11). They were transferred to the Papuda (men) and Colmeia (women) penitentiaries, also in Brasília.

According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the prisoners were in possession of their personal belongings, including cell phones, received legal, religious and medical care, with ambulances and a field hospital, in addition to four meals throughout the day. They could also freely move around the area reserved for them and camp in their own tents.

The visit was made by the Public Prosecutor’s Office this Tuesday morning (10), when 560 people had already been identified and released, including the elderly, people with serious comorbidities and women accompanied by children. In all, about 1500 people passed through the site, including those who had been arrested on Sunday, in the attacks on Congress, the STF and the Planalto Palace, and those who were camped in front of the Army on Monday morning.

Coup-mongers call for new demonstrations

Coup groups call for demonstrations for this Friday (12), at 6 pm, in several Brazilian cities. The acts have been called the “Mega National Demonstration – for the resumption of power”. The minister determined the penalty of an hourly fine of R$ 20 thousand (US$ 3846.36) for individuals and R$ 100 thousand (US$ 19231.8) for legal entities that assist in non-compliance with the decision, either by participating in demonstrations or providing support material, logistical or financial, to people and vehicles that remain in public places.

Moraes also ordered the messaging application Telegram to block several user accounts and groups associated with scammers within two hours. In the petition, the AGU attached the names of people and groups identified spreading the call for the coup. The agency warned that the country “is on the verge of a serious situation”, similar to that observed last Sunday.

Congress calculates the damage of terrorist acts

The Chamber of Deputies estimated at R$ 3 million the damage caused after the invasion and depredation carried out by Bolsonaristas coupists last Sunday. In a preliminary report, the House noted damage to computers, printers, televisions, chairs, upholstery and glassware, telephones and vehicles. The Federal Senate estimates that the losses of the scammers will be between R$ 3 million (US$ 581.128,48) and R$ 4 million (US$ 774.837,97).

Memorial of terrorist acts

The Minister of Culture, Margareth Menezes, said this Tuesday that the government is considering creating a memorial so that the country does not forget the violence of terrorist acts against the headquarters of the three powers, in Brasília.

According to the minister, the structure has not yet been completely thought out and there is still no place for installation. She visited the Planalto Palace, one of the terrorists’ targets, and evaluated the vandalized works of art.

The minister discussed the recovery of the items with First Lady Janja Lula da Silva and with the new president of the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan), Leandro Grass. She informed that the estimate of the damages will be concluded this week, when it will be possible to have the dimensions of the costs and what can be recovered.

With information from Revista Fórum and from Congresso em Foco

Iara Vidal is a Brazilian journalist and works in Brasília (DF)