After the storming of Congress: Bolsonaro’s role must be explored Why Joe Biden may have saved Donald Trump’s head

After radical supporters stormed the government district in the Brazilian capital Brasília, the Supreme Court also wants to investigate ex-president Jair Bolsonaro. This is apparent from a message from the Supreme Court on Friday evening (local time), which has accepted a corresponding request from the Attorney General’s Office. The right-wing ex-president Bolsonaro is accused of posting a video on Tuesday and then shortly after deleting it questioning the legality of Brazil’s presidential election in October, publicly calling for a crime.

On Sunday, Bolsonaro supporters stormed Congress, the seat of government and the Supreme Court in Brasília, wreaking havoc. Bolsonaro’s successor Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva accused Bolsonaro of inciting his supporters. The former president denied the allegations.

According to Judge Alexandre de Moraes, false statements had been repeated on social networks. Democratic institutions, among others, have been denied their legitimacy. As a result, Bolsonaro supporters were incited to attack representatives of these institutions and commit “the most serious crimes against democracy and the rule of law” – as on that Sunday.

Although the post came after the riots, Bolsonaro’s role should be investigated, Deputy Attorney General Carlos Frederico Santos said, according to a statement from the prosecution. The Supreme Court is already investigating, among other things, the “intellectual authorship” that led to the violence and vandalism in Brasília.

Faced with fears of renewed action by radical Bolsonaro supporters, security measures in the Brazilian capital were tightened on Wednesday after calls for a “mega demonstration to regain power” circulated in all Brazilian capitals.

Two days before the end of his term on New Year’s Eve, Bolsonaro flew his family to the United States, where he has resided in Florida ever since. After being released from the hospital he was taken to earlier this week due to severe abdominal pain, Bolsonaro is aiming to return to his home country from the US before the end of January. (sda/dpa)