Hours after rioters launched the worst attack on Brazil’s State institutions since its return to democracy in the 1980s, Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined world leaders in speaking out against the vandalism blamed on former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s far-Right backers.
In a tweet posted after various heads of state and government, including US President Joe Biden, had spoken, Modi said: “Deeply concerned about the news of rioting and vandalism against the State institutions in Brasilia. Democratic traditions must be respected by everyone. We extend our full support to the Brazilian authorities. @LulaOficial.”
The far-Right rioters had stormed the buildings, including the presidential palace in Brasilia, on Sunday to protest against what they falsely claimed was a stolen election that had returned the Left leader, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, to office.
After thousands of Bolsonaro’s backers stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace on Sunday, hundreds of police in riot gear and some on horseback were deployed at the pro-Bolsonaro camp outside Brasilia’s army headquarters, while soldiers in the area withdrew, witnesses told Reuters.
Bolsonaro, who is now in Florida, denied inciting his supporters and said the rioters had “crossed the line”.
The vandalism is almost a repeat of what former US President Donald Trump’s backers did in Washington on January 6, 2021, to register their protest against Biden’s electoral victory in the November 2020 elections.
Both Bolsonaro and Trump have visited India on Modi’s invitation. While both had been invited to be the chief guest at successive Republic Day parades, only Bolsonaro had accepted, in 2020.
Trump did not accept the invitation for the 2019 parade owing to other engagements around the date, including the State of the Union address, but he did come to India in February 2020 for the Namaste Trump event hosted in Ahmedabad by Modi a few months before the US presidential elections.
Facebook parent Meta and Google’s video platform YouTube said on Monday they were removing content supporting or praising the weekend vandalism.
Additional reporting by Reuters
