Hundreds of supporters of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro (67) stormed the congress in the capital Brasília.
They entered the parliament building on Sunday and smashed the windows of the facade and entered the entrance hall, as was shown on television channel Globo on Sunday. The Senate and House of Representatives are housed in the stormed congress building.
Some of the followers reached the roof of the building, as shown on television footage. Police used pepper spray but failed to stop supporters of former right-wing leader Bolsonaro.
According to the news portal “G1”, they also later moved to the government seat of Palácio do Planalto.
Bolsonaro has never admitted defeat
“I condemn these anti-democratic acts, which must be urgently punished with the harshness of the law,” Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco, 46, wrote on Twitter.
The new president Luiz Inacio Lula Silva is currently in the state of São Paulo. The left-wing politician took his oath of office a week ago.
The right-wing president Bolsonaro lost in the second round to the left-wing politician Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (77) last October and left office around the turn of the year. However, he never explicitly acknowledged his defeat.
Contrary to custom, Bolsonaro did not attend the inauguration of his successor Lula on New Year’s Day, but flew to the United States with his family.
Even after the election, radical supporters of the ex-serviceman had repeatedly protested Lula’s victory and called on the country’s armed forces to stage a military coup. (SDA)
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