World denounces riots in Brazil capital

BRASILIA — After supporters of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro stormed the presidential palace, the Congress and the Supreme Court in the capital city on Sunday, leaders of countries and international organizations condemned their actions and expressed support for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The attackers in Brasilia were protesting in response to Bolsonaro's loss of power after his defeat by Lula da Silva, popularly known as Lula, in the presidential election in October.

Lula, who was sworn in on Jan 1, has condemned the invasions of the buildings, saying the attackers would be punished "with the full force of law".

More than 400 were arrested in connection with the attacks, Federal District Governor Ibaneis Rocha said on Monday.

Rodrigo Pacheco, president of the Federal Senate, said the protesters were "undemocratic" and must be punished "rigorously".

Rioters donning the green and yellow of the national flag on Sunday broke windows, toppled furniture, and hurled computers and printers to the ground. They punctured a massive Emiliano Di Cavalcanti painting in five places, overturned the U-shaped table at which Supreme Court justices convene, ripped a door off one justice's office and vandalized an iconic statue outside the court. The monumental buildings' interiors were left in states of ruin.

In a news conference late on Sunday, Brazil's Justice Minister Flavio Dino said the acts amounted to terrorism and coup-mongering and that authorities have begun tracking those who paid for the buses that transported the protesters to the capital.

"They will not succeed in destroying Brazilian democracy. We need to say that fully, with all firmness and conviction," Dino said. "We will not accept the path of criminality to carry out political fights in Brazil. A criminal is treated like a criminal."

David Adler, a political economist and coordinator of the left-wing international organization Progressive International, said on Sunday that the invasion may have been planned from the United States.

Evidence suggests that the invasions "may have been planned in Florida", tweeted Adler, adding that "Secretary of Security for the Federal District is in the USA and recently traveled to Orlando — exactly where Jair Bolsonaro is currently staying".

Support from ex-leader?

Bolsonaro, who was absent from the inauguration ceremony of Lula, voiced earlier on Twitter his support for peaceful demonstrations and rejected vandalism and invasion of public buildings.

Local media reported that the president was not in the presidential palace at the time of the riot and security forces had retaken control of the three buildings.

World leaders repudiated the protesters' acts and expressed their support for the Brazilian government.

While expressing his support for Lula, Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for an urgent meeting of the Organization of American States, or OAS, to "apply the democratic charter".

Chilean President Gabriel Boric said: "An unconscionable attack on the three powers of the Brazilian state by Bolsonarists. The Brazilian government has our full support in the face of this cowardly and vile attack on democracy."

The Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry issued a statement giving its "unrestricted support for democracy and the legitimately elected government".

Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero wrote on Twitter that "we express our solidarity with Lula da Silva and raise our voices in defense of Brazilian democracy".

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard expressed his country's "full support for the government of President Lula elected by popular will" and rejected "any attempt against democratic institutions".

OAS Secretary-General Luis Almagro condemned the actions on Sunday, saying they were of a "fascist nature".

US President Joe Biden described the scenes in Brasilia as an "assault on democracy".

In Europe, the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Josep Borrell, said in a statement that the bloc condemns in the strongest terms the antidemocratic acts of violence that took place on Sunday in the heart of Brasilia's government quarter, and reiterates its full support for the president.

French President Emmanuel Macron, in a tweet stating his support for Lula, said: "The will of the Brazilian people and the democratic institutions must be respected!"

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa condemned the acts of Bolsonaro's supporters and stressed Portugal's solidarity with Lula as a new "legitimately invested power" in Brazil after the 2022 election.

Xinhua - Agencies