Brazil in Shock After Supporters of Former President Jair Bolsonaro Storm Nation’s Highest Seats of Power in Capital Brasilia

Rio de Janeiro — Brazil is in shock after hundreds of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the nation’s highest seats of power in the capital Brasilia on Sunday. The attack, which saw protesters trashing offices, drew condemnation from the government and the international community.

The breach came a week after the inauguration of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who returned to power after a 12-year hiatus following a victory over Bolsonaro in a run-off election on October 30. Footage Sunday showed rioters donning the green and yellow of the national flag breaking windows, toppling furniture, hurling computers and printers to the ground, and puncturing a massive Emiliano Di Cavalcanti painting in five places.

The attack bore similarities to the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol in Washington DC, when supporters of ex-US President Donald Trump – a close ally of Bolsonaro – stormed Congress in an effort to prevent the certification of his election defeat. The protesters in Brazil were seeking military intervention to either restore Bolsonaro to power or oust the newly inaugurated leftist Lula da Silva.

The Brazilian government has condemned the attack, with President Lula da Silva calling it an “attack on democracy”. The international community has also expressed its concern, with the United Nations calling for an investigation into the incident.

The incident has sparked a debate in Brazil about the need to protect the nation’s democratic institutions. It has also raised questions about the role of the military in politics, with many calling for the government to take steps to ensure that the military remains neutral in political matters.