The outburst of violence on Sunday, 8 January 2023, in Brasilia, Federal capital of South America’s largest nation, seemed inevitable. Throughout his term in office, outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro had expressed misgivings about the electoral, judicial, and legislative processes in Brazil, thereby pre-empting the possibility of his electoral defeat by fomenting conspiratorial thoughts antagonistic to the Brazilian state amongst his many followers. Bolsonaro never formally accepted the result of the presidential election of October 2022 and chose to leave Brazil for the United States instead on 30 December, just two days before the inauguration of his opponent, Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva, on 1 January 2023.
On the appointed day, some of Bolsonaro’s most ardent followers, referred to in some circles as “Bolsonaristas” , made their way up the kilometre-long central “monumental axis” of Brasilia, the Esplanada do Ministérios, as they embarked upon a three-pronged attack on the National Congress building, Federal Supreme Court building, and the Presidential Palace (Palacio de Planalto). Thousands of aggrieved “patriotic” supporters of Bolsonaro, claiming a “stolen election”, featured in a replay of events two years and two days to the date in Washington DC, when Trump supporters marched on the US Congress. Trouble had been brewing ever since the election, as Bolsonaristas regrouped and set up camps at key locations in Brazil. Analysts monitoring WhatsApp and Telegram groups noted support for their position from far-right and conservative elements in America, and misinformation was simultaneously propagated on publicly accessible social media platforms.
Brasilia, the bespoke inland capital city of Brazil, is widely considered an architectural masterpiece- a testament to the work of urban planner Lucian Costa and Modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer. Construction work began in September 1956 and it was inaugurated as capital only in April 1960. Brasilia was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Despite its relatively short history, Brasilia is no stranger to political violence, ranging from the economic riots of November1986 to the Vinegar Revolt of May-June 2013. Never before, however, has the city’s world-renowned architectural heritage and its public artworks been subjected to such extensive damage.
The events of 8 January led to the arrest of 1,500 Bolsonaristas, many of whom sported yellow Brazil football shirts. Some wrapped green, blue and yellow Brazilian national flags around themselves, while others proudly brandished them- to proclaim their apparent patriotism. Security barricades were stormed and the National Congress invaded. Glass windows were broken, furniture was smashed, and computers and printers hurled to the floor, while some Bolsonaristas made it to the roof of the building and unfurled a banner that read “Intervention”. The glass frontage of the Supreme Court building was also shattered, while inside a U-shaped table around which the Supreme Court judges sit was overturned. The Presidential Palace was not spared, suffering extensive damage to furniture and artwork. Holes were punched through As Mulatas, an Emiliano Di Cavalcanti painting valued at $1.5 million, sculptures were damaged, and an irreplaceable 17th-century watch destroyed. Brazil’s original 1988 Constitution was stolen. At various times, Bolsonaristas could be seen taking selfies amidst the scenes of carnage. After an initial period when the attackers appeared to have the upper hand, security forces eventually regained control by the end of the evening with the help of water cannon and stun guns.
It has been suggested that there are many elements loyal to Bolsonaro within the ranks of Brazil’s security forces and that there had been little preparation for the impending assault on Brazilian democracy. If anything, there were reports of fraternisation between security forces and Bolsonaristas in their camps in the run-up to the events of 8 January. Some Bolsonaristas even expected that the military would join them in their coup attempt. On the day of rioting, a purge of pro-Bolsonaro public officials began with the dismissal of Anderson Torres, Federal District Security Secretary of Security and ex-Justice Minister, who is reportedly in the US. Ibaneis Rocha, the pro-Bolsonaro governor of Brasilia, was suspended from his post for 90 days by the Supreme Court. The federal administration took direct control of security in Brasilia for the next 30 days to begin with. President Lula vowed retaliation and exemplary punishment for the rioters, while federal prosecutors threatened to seize Bolsonaro’s assets in Brazil. Protesters chanted for the ex-President’s arrest and extradition to his homeland.
The day after the insurrection, police started dismantling camps that had been set up by Bolsonaristas outside the federal army headquarters and elsewhere in Brasilia. During the evening, President Lula, along with Brazil’s 26 state governors, inspected the carnage and that same night received a public show of support from them, amid the rubble in the heart of Brasilia. The same day, pro-democracy rallies were held in several towns and cities around Brazil, just as Bolsonaro was admitted to hospital in Orlando, Florida, with abdominal pain, possibly a complication of a knife attack during his 2018 electoral campaign. Bolsonaro himself distanced himself from the efforts on his behalf, even tweeting that the actions of the rioters in attacking public buildings “evade the rule” of democracy. World leaders strongly condemned the Brasilia insurrection, without reservation, while the Brazilian real temporarily dropped in value.
Brazil’s liberal democracy must be considered inherently fragile, especially when around half (49.1 per cent) of its citizens voted for Bolsonaro in the heavily contested presidential run-off and many remain strongly committed to his cause. Elections are by no means perfect, but the widespread rejection of the entire electoral process does not bode well for transitions between governments of different persuasion and only paves the way for future authoritarian rule. Unfortunately, a new narrative is being created in which elections are at best seen as conspiracies by which the state actively colludes to suppress the voices of ordinary people. Through the coming weeks and months, the world will be able to test the resilience of democracy in the world’s fifth largest nation, with the hope that some form of peaceful equilibrium will be restored over time.
Ashis Banerjee.