Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro broke through Armed Forces security barriers on Sunday, gaining access to major facilities for the three branches of government, including the congressional building, the Supreme Court, and the Planalto Presidential Palace.
After the invaders first overpowered capital security personnel, leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro in the tensest race in a generation last year, declared a federal military intervention in Brasilia lasting until Jan. 31.
The populist autocrat's supporters refuse to recognize that he was defeated in his campaign for reelection and insist that the election was rigged. Hardcore supporters have openly advocated for a military takeover to restore him to power, and others are attempting to cause mayhem by engaging in vandalism and violent crimes in the hopes of inciting a military response.
A violent movement of election deniers was started after Bolsonaro, a Trump supporter who hasn't yet conceded loss, spread a bogus notion that Brazil's electronic voting system was prone to fraud.
Before writing on Twitter that he "repudiates" Lula's claims against him, Bolsonaro remained silent for almost six hours regarding the mayhem in Brasilia.
The former president, who has seldom spoken in public since losing the election, also stated that while peaceful protests are important, invading and damaging public facilities "crosses the line."
He flew to Florida 48 hours before his term expired and did not attend Lula's inauguration.
President Lula described the incidents as "barbaric," and the Bolsonaro demonstrators who broke into official facilities as "fascists."
"These people are everything that is abominable in politics, to invade the government headquarters, the headquarters of Congress, and the headquarters of the Supreme Court like true vandals destroying everything in their path," Lula said.
Additionally, Lula said that there was a "lack of security" and promised that "all the people who did this will be found and punished."
The attacks were denounced by world leaders.
The scenario was described as "outrageous" by U.S. President Joe Biden, whose own presidency was marked by a similar incident. His Secretary of State Antony Blinken offered Washington's complete support to Lula and Brazil's institutions.
"Using violence to attack democratic institutions is always unacceptable," Blinken wrote on Twitter. "We join Lula in urging an immediate end to these actions."
In 2021, Trump supporters fought police, broke through barricades, and stormed the Capitol in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent Congress from declaring Joe Biden's 2020 election victory.
The violence in Brasilia may exacerbate Bolsonaro's legal problems. It also creates issues for U.S. authorities, who are debating how to handle his presence in Florida.
