More than half of Brazilians blame ex-president Jair Bolsonaro for the attack by radical protesters on the government district in Brasília.
In a survey by polling agency Datafolha published Thursday, 55 percent of those polled said the right-wing ex-head of state was behind his supporters storming Congress, the government session and the Supreme Court. 39 percent of those polled said Bolsonaro was not responsible.
Did Bolsonaro goad his supporters?
Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the government district in Brasília on Sunday. They briefly seized the control centers of the country’s main state authorities, rioting in offices and boardrooms, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. It took security forces hours to regain control of the situation.
Bolsonaro lost the second round to current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva last October. However, he has repeatedly questioned the electoral system and never explicitly admitted defeat. His radical supporters then blocked roads and called on the armed forces for a military coup.
Two days before the end of his term of office on New Year’s Day, the ex-serviceman traveled to the US with his family. Lula accused his predecessor of inciting his followers. The former president denied the allegations. (SDA)