Brazil: Bolsonaro supporters storm key government buildings
Brasília:Police have arrested at least 400 people after supporters of Brazil's far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed several government buildings in the country's capital Brasília, media reports said.
Ibaneis Rocha, the governor of the country's Federal District, tweeted: " I come to inform you that more than 400 people have already been arrested and will pay for the crimes committed. We continue working to identify all the others who participated in these terrorist acts this afternoon in the Federal District. We continue to work to restore order."
Venho informar que mais de 400 pessoas já foram presas e pagarão pelos crimes cometidos. Continuamos trabalhando para identificar todas as outras que participaram desses atos terroristas na tarde de hoje no Distrito Federal. Seguimos trabalhando para que a ordem se restabeleça.
— Ibaneis Rocha (@IbaneisOficial) January 8, 2023
Three key buildings in the city- the Supreme Court, the presidential palace and the congressional building - were stormed by the supporters of the former President of the country.
The incident recalled memories of Jan 6, 2021 invasion of the US Capitol building by supporters of former president Donald Trump.
Bolsonaro denounced the "depredations and invasions of public buildings" in Brasília, after his supporters stormed key government buildings Sunday, reports CNN.
- Manifestações pacíficas, na forma da lei, fazem parte da democracia. Contudo, depredações e invasões de prédios públicos como ocorridos no dia de hoje, assim como os praticados pela esquerda em 2013 e 2017, fogem à regra.
— Jair M. Bolsonaro 2️⃣2️⃣ (@jairbolsonaro) January 9, 2023
He tweeted: "Peaceful demonstrations, in the form of the law, are part of democracy. However, depredations and invasions of public buildings as occurred today, as well as those practiced by the left in 2013 and 2017, escape the rule."
Making a stunning comeback, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defeated Jair Bolsonaro to become the president of the country last year.
His victory marked the end of the country’s most right-wing government in decades.
In the weeks since Bolsonaro's loss, thousands of his supporters have gathered at military barracks across the country, asking the army to step in as they claim, with no evidence, that the election was stolen, reports CNN.
