I am writing this article from Brasilia that was shocked by the Capitol attack.
It is difficult not to draw a parallel with what happened two years ago in the United States with what happened on January 8, 2023, in Brasilia, the capital and headquarters of the public powers of Brazil when hundreds of Bolsonarists invaded Congress (Legislative Branch), the Planalto Palace (Executive Power) and the Federal Supreme Court (Judicial Power). Certainly, they are similar political, anti-democratic and terrorist events, even more so when the two political referents behind them share ideology and political methods: Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro, in fact, is now in the United States, having decided to take a vacation in North America a few days after the inauguration of the third presidency of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Thus, the seizure of the Capitol is already part of the background to these terrorist acts carried out by the most reactive, violent and irrational Bolsonaro base, but also by other self-styled “pacifist” supporters who “only” accompany these demonstrations with anti-democratic and vandalistic means. The other antecedents are: the requests for military intervention in the military barracks of some Brazilian states, especially in the south, southeast and center of the country; in Brasilia, the attempted attack prior to the inauguration of Lula, in December 2022; roadblocks in the country’s main traffic arteries, particularly in Sao Paulo.
Chronicle of an announced event
The collaboration of the security forces of the Federal District, that is, of Brasilia, especially the Brazilian Military Police (PM), has become more evident than ever. The members of the PM – always in insignificant numbers compared to the Bolsonarista contingents – came to encourage the protesters. But there was also collaboration from the Federal Rodoviaria Police (PRF), which depends on the Ministry of Justice, because dozens of buses were allowed to arrive in Brasilia, knowing that they came ready for everything, since that was the call spread from the social media. The collaboration of a certain class of the Armed Forces and the governor of Brasilia himself is equally undeniable. It was not an omission, the inaction of these actors was conscious.
That is to say, that, although there are certain comparable elements between the terrorist acts of the Capitol and of Brasilia, however, what happened in the surroundings of the Plaza de los Poderes is of a greater dimension. It is proof of what we have been saying in previous texts that it was not enough to elect Lula, and put an end to Bolsonaro’s mandate, but that it was necessary to confront the movement that put him in Alvorada: the now called Bolsonaro.
Bolsonarismo is alive
We will have to start looking for another name for this movement, because continuing to use the term or category “Bolsonarismo” or “Bolsonarista” implies reinforcing Bolsonaro’s image, inflating his ego. The Trump of the Tropics is the great capitalist of the invasion of the three powers in Brasilia, without a doubt.
It will be necessary to continue understanding this phenomenon and gradually deconstructing it in order to confront and overthrow it. For now, we know that he is a neo-fascist and that he uses terror to threaten Brazilian democracy.
Democracy threatened
It took six (6) long and bitter years for the Brazilian people to restore the democratic and popular reins of the South American giant: after the coup against constitutional president Dilma Rousseff was consummated in 2016 and Michel Temer took over the interim government. And in a single day we once again saw the institutions of formal democracy in Brazil threatened. This has led Lula to reconfigure your political agenda, but he has already firmly taken action and will not stop his government program. In the coming days we will see how effective his decisions are and how the first month of his third presidency continues.
For now Brasilia is “pacified”. However, you can still hear the helicopters flying over the city, guests are also checking out at the hotels, some buses are taking the road. Once again, we cannot trust that something similar will not happen again, in Brasilia or in any other city in Brazil. You must be alert.
