Terrorist act in Brasília causes “incalculable loss”

Architects Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer, who designed Brazil’s modernist capital Brasília, had a vision for the buildings representing the three branches of government to remain open to the people, without high walls or bars. Their vision also included a big open square — the Esplanade of Ministries — in which people could demonstrate against the government.

But the architects most certainly did not foresee the war-like scenario that hit Brasília’s iconic government buildings on Sunday.

Dissatisfied with the results of the October elections, supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro invaded the seats of the three branches of power, destroying everything in their path, in protest at President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s new government.

With insufficient security and the complacency, not say complicity, of the police, the rioters destroyed rooms, windows, floors, pieces of furniture, decorative objects, and electronic equipment. They even stole weapons and ammunition from the security team’s rooms.

The room in which the Supreme Court convenes was completely destroyed, as were offices in the Lower House, the Senate, and the presidential palace. Specialized teams analyzing the structural damage caused to public buildings are yet to present a balance of their assessment.

One of the greatest losses, however, seems to be the annihilation of works of art that are representative of the history of the Brazilian Republic and of the country’s art scene.

Many objects remain lost within the wreckage, and the state of several works will only be assessed after expert evaluation and the cleaning up of the spaces.

In addition to being the office of civil servants, the buildings of Congress, the Supreme Court, and...