On Sunday, thousands of supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the country’s top government offices in an attack akin to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The demonstrators bypassed security barricades, climbed on roofs, smashed windows and invaded all three buildings, with some calling for a military intervention to either restore the far-right Bolsonaro to power or oust President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from office.
In response, President Joe Biden condemned the attack on democracy and the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil. “Brazil’s democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined,” Biden said on Twitter. He added that he looks forward to continuing to work with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Facebook-parent Meta has also taken action in response to the attack. The company said it is removing posts from the platform that praise or support anti-democratic demonstrators in Brazil.
Facebook has more than 3 billion users who often rely on the social network to find information or people who share their views. However, the service has also been criticized for spreading misinformation. The attack in Brazil is a reminder of the importance of monitoring and regulating content on social media platforms to ensure that democracy is not undermined.
Key takeaways:
- Thousands of supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the country’s top government offices in an attack akin to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
- President Joe Biden condemned the attack and Facebook-parent Meta has taken action in response by removing posts from the platform that praise or support anti-democratic demonstrators in Brazil.
- The attack in Brazil is a reminder of the importance of monitoring and regulating content on social media platforms to ensure that democracy is not undermined.
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