Lula calls for security intervention to quell putschist invasion

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva decreed a federal intervention in the public security apparatus of Brazil’s Federal District — where capital city Brasília is located — after radical supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro violently stormed and vandalized the government headquarters on Sunday afternoon.

The measure allows the federal government to be directly responsible for security in the state, taking power away from Governor Ibaneis Rocha until January 31. Ricardo Cappelli, executive secretary at the Justice Ministry, will lead the intervention.

Lula said that the police forces in the Federal District acted “in bad faith” on Sunday afternoon, stressing that the invasion is “unprecedented in the country’s history.”

The president said that lenient police officers will be identified and held accountable, as well as the radical protesters involved in the invasions. “These people need to be punished in an exemplary manner, so that no one else dares to pretend to be nationalists and do what they did,” Lula said.

Anderson Torres, head of security in the Federal District, was promptly fired just hours after public buildings were stormed. Mr. Torres is a close ally of Mr. Bolsonaro’s, and served as his justice minister until the end of last year.

Mr. Torres is not currently in Brasília, instead he is traveling to the U.S., reportedly to meet with Mr. Bolsonaro, who is holed up in Florida.

Shortly before being fired, Mr. Torres said on Twitter that “criminals will not go unpunished” and that “disorder is inconceivable and disrespect for institutions is unacceptable.”

The number of police officers deployed, however, was insufficient to contain the crowd. Furthermore, some footage circulating on social media showed police officers laughing and taking pictures while Congress was stormed.

Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco sent a message to all senators, asking them to “vehemently repudiate this incident, that is an affront to the Legislative branch.”

Prosecutor General Augusto Aras asked for a criminal investigation to be opened to hold those involved accountable. The Solicitor General’s Office requested the immediate arrest of Anderson Torres.

House Speaker Arthur Lira said that “Congress has never denied a voice to those who want to demonstrate peacefully. But it will never give space to tumult, destruction, and vandalism.”

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