It’s a crushing deja vu. Thousands gathered in front of the government quarter in Brazil’s capital Brasilia on Sunday afternoon. An angry mob tramples the roadblocks. Hundreds of radical Bolsonaro fans invade the Congress building. They conquer the plenary hall, dance on tables. They climb onto the roof and wave green and yellow Brazilian flags.
The rioters move on to the Supreme Court and finally to the Palacio do Planalto, the seat of government, leaving a trail of destruction: smashed windows, smashed furniture, destroyed works of art.
Compassionate police officers allow the violence and sometimes accompany the roaring crowd. All this for rotating TV cameras and smartphones. Only when the Marechaussee intervened with cavalry squadrons, armored vehicles and helicopters and used water cannons, stun grenades and tear gas did the ghost come to an end – hours later – hours later.
Everything is reminiscent of the Capitol storm of January 6, 2021
Not only the unbridled violence is reminiscent of the historic January 6, 2021 in Washington. It’s also their message and timing. As with the storming of the Capitol almost exactly two years ago, the supporters of an outvoted Brazilian president want to prevent the new government. Like the “Trumpists”, the Bolsonaro fans also believe in the major electoral fraud. The similarities are not coincidental, but orchestrated with the help of far-right American agitators, my observers. Incumbent Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (77) even suspects, according to Brazilian media, that the uprising was financed from abroad.
Steve Bannon (69), former chief strategist of Donald Trump (76), ranted immediately after the second round of the election on October 30, 2022, in which Jair Bolsonaro (67) was voted out: “Lula stole the election. The Brazilians know that.” The far right calls the Bolsonaro demonstrators “freedom fighters” and encourages them to keep taking to the streets.
Trump activist and founder of the “Stop the Steal” movement, Ali Alexander (38), calls on Brazilians to “do whatever it takes” and emphasizes in his posts his excellent contacts in Brazil. Another senior Trump adviser, Jason Miller, raised funds for Bolsonaro’s election campaign on his social media platform Gettr in the fall.
Close contacts with Trump and his supporters
After the Capitol storm two years ago, Jair Bolsonaro himself had predicted a coup in his own country if he lost the election. When he subsequently lost the election, he demonstratively stayed away from the handover to Lula da Silva. Donald Trump can also have a hand in this. In any case, Bolsonaro’s third son, Eduardo Bolsonaro (38), will travel to Florida in November 2022 and meet the former US president. He then talks to Steve Bannon and Jason Miller. That reports the Washington Post.
Jair Bolsonaro also visits Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and chooses Florida as his exile after the election defeat. Brasilia’s acting security chief and Bolsonaro’s former justice minister, Anderson Torres, 47, are also staying there as the right-wing mob storms the government district in Brasilia. Torres has since been impeached.
He was justice minister under Bolsonaro and is considered a follower of the ex-president.
The governor of the federal district around the capital was also temporarily removed from office. Ibaneis Rocha (51) will initially be suspended for 90 days, the Supreme Court ordered early Monday morning. Judge Alexandre de Moraes said the governor had done nothing to ensure public safety despite clear indications of violent action.
Governor Rocha had previously apologized. Meanwhile, militant supporters of Bolsonaro are announcing new protests.