Insurrection: Part II
Image of Brazilian protesters, courtesy of Andressa Anholete from Getty Images.
Offices trashed, fire alarms blaring, sprinklers set off, stolen artifacts. Congress had become a battlefield of democracy. But this time, it was not Americans attempting to overthrow the government. It was Brazilians. The familiar story took place on the floor of the House of Deputies, the lower House of Congress in Brasilia, Brazil just a week after the inauguration of the new president. This is not common in the history of industrialized states like the U.S. and Brazil, however these two countries took to similar methods after stark electoral losses.
The election took place in October 2022 and was considered a pivotal moment for Brazil’s political future. Brazil was facing extreme economic and institutional challenges that made this election important, no matter which candidate won. This election was being called a test against the future of democracy in the country. The race was between political leaders President Jair Bolsonaro and former President Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva. The battle between Lula and Bolsonaro was a long time feud between the two diametrically opposed parties. Far-right incumbent Bolsonaro was hoping to be elected for his second term representing the Liberal Party. Lula, his competitor, served as president for two different terms as a far-left politician from the Workers’ Party. In the first round of voting, neither candidate was able to secure an electoral victory, forcing a runoff election to be held shortly after. In the second round of voting, Lula won the presidential seat with around 51% of the total vote.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, left, appears in Sao Paolo, Brazil, July 3rd 2022, and now former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, right, attending a meeting in Los Angeles on June 9th, 2022. Image Credit here.
As the results became clear, Bolsonaro quickly took to delegitimizing the election and denying his electoral loss. The longtime Trump ally took a couple pages out of the former American president’s book, claiming voter fraud, blaming a rigged election, and demanding a recount. He accredited his loss to mass election fraud, exclaiming that it was the only way that he could possibly lose the election bid. Bolsonaro even went as far to say that if he were to lose the electoral seat the country would face worse problems than America, referring to the January 6th insurrection. Despite his clear electoral loss, Bolsonaro has refused to concede from the race and accept his defeat. Bolsonaro sparked doubt surrounding the election, making critics believe that he is to blame for the violent insurrection against the government. And, on the fateful day, Bolsonaro did little to stop his supporters.
On Sunday, January 8, 2023, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed three different houses of Brazil’s government in Brasilia. They attacked the presidential palace, the supreme court and the congress, stopping democratic processes in their place. The insurrection began as supporters crowded in front of the military and demanded they execute a coup against the newly inaugurated government of President Lula. Over 4,000 supporters then marched down to the legislative building. Military and riot police were prepared at the governmental buildings, armed with pepper spray and other defensive items. However, it was said that police and army officials were said to be seen being lenient and forgiving to the rioters. The protestors made it into the upper floor of Congress, which houses the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. Officers were said to be engaging in physical combat and altercations with the protestors, but once they entered the congressional floor, the protestors were able to vandalize and loot the upper house. From there, rioters were able to use a ramp connecting the buildings to enter the Supreme Federal Court and the Palácio do Planalto. Protestors were shown in videos shouting “break everything”, “you have to break everything.” The governor of the Federal District, Ibaneis Rocha, took measures to contain the riot, and President Lula signed a decree allowing federal security to deal with the violence and chaos.
Supporters of Brazilian former President Jair Bolsonaro destroy a window of the the plenary of the Supreme Court in Brasilia, Jan. 8, 2023. Ton Molina/AFP via Getty Images
The riot left the three government buildings with important artifacts, paintings, and furniture utterly destroyed. Rooms and offices were left barren and almost every structure inside the building was vandalized. Countless electronic devices, including cameras, computers, and phones holding valuable information were destroyed or stolen in the process. The protestors even stole a copy of the original 1988 constitution book and a Coat of arms of Brazil. Outside of the Federal District, protestors also pulled down three separate power towers, leaving portions of the country without power for days.
Since the attack, President Lula has condemned the riot and claimed that there will be full and complete consequences for those who participated in the insurrection. Lula said the attack was “barbaric” and can be blamed on a lack of security within the Federal District. The president even went as far as to call those who broke into Congress as “fascists.” He also claimed that those who participated in the attack committed ‘abominable’ acts and must be located and reprimanded for the serious breach of security. The Attorney General’s Office and the Federal District have opened criminal investigations in order to follow the procedures required to punish those who protested in Brasilia on January 8th.
Bolsonaro finally came out and condemned the attacks after keeping a very low political profile since his electoral defeat. He stated that those who attacked the government need to follow the laws and comply with security guidelines. However, during the attacks, there was no advice or condemnation from Bolsonaro to his supporters. In fact, Bolsonaro, in his response, pointed out how peaceful protest is a pillar of democracy and necessary for true democratic processes, encouraging the violent insurrection.
This attack on the government was strikingly similar to the U.S. Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021. From the lead up, the manner of the election, and the actual means of attacking the government, Brazil and the U.S. mirrored each other. Both of these insurrections are accredited to the reaction of the sitting president. In the U.S., sitting President Donald Trump was blamed for the insurrection, as he refused to accept the election results and insisted that the electronic voting systems were rigged against him. In a very similar manner, Bolsonaro denied the election results and demanded that there be a recount after his presidential defeat against Lula. Both political leaders gained support by appealing to right-wing populist groups in the country, blaming the hardships in the economy and society on economic and political elites. Trump and Bolsonaro used the extreme beliefs of their supporters to create a solid party membership and rally them behind an attempt to overthrow the government. Bolsonaro and Trump are also believed to have incredibly similar rhetoric styles, especially on the campaign trail. Both political leaders believed that they were different from other politicians. Despite Bolsonaro’s long history within politics, he took a similar stance to that of Trump, by saying he was a political outsider who was entering the political sphere to “drain the swamp.” They both also employed harsh and nearly offensive rhetoric throughout their political campaign and rule. Trump and Bolsonaro bolstered their fanbase by exclaiming polarizing and blunt criticism, causing both leaders to gain support despite racist, misogynistic, and homophobic remarks. These similarities caused Bolsonaro and Trump to become friends and political allies, which gives insight to how the events in Brazil copy those in the U.S.
Not only did Brazil’s insurrection mirror the U.S. version just a couple years prior, but the same parties were involved. Trump and Bolsonaro’s friendship extended through their desire to stay in office and use whatever means necessary to keep power. Trump allies in the U.S. took to the media in order to support Bolsonaro in his denial of the election. Steven Bannon, the long time Trump ally and former White House Chief Strategist, claimed that the “whole election smells,” just before the second round of voting that ended with Lula’s win. Bannon had been using his media outlets to continuously spread rumors about the election fraud occurring in Brazil, before the election even began. Bannon even coined the hashtag “#BrazilSpring” in order to galvanize Bolsonaro supporters to take the election results into their own hands and overthrow the government. Jason Miller, former Trump adviser, also met personally with Bolsonaro during his visit to the U.S. and was reported to encourage Bolsonaro to attack the electronic voting machines in Brazil. During the insurrection, protesters then held up banners asking to see the “source code," referring to vote tabulation machines and seeing if the election was rigged. Other fringe activists that arose after the January 6th attack, like Ali Alexander, began to take to the media and encourage an insurrection against Brazil’s government. Alexander, who is one of the leaders of the “Stop the Steal” campaign, tweeted repeatedly that Brazil must do “whatever is necessary” since the country doesn’t “respect the law or the people,” while claiming to have contacts in Brazil.
A man calls on people to raid the building as Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they try to storm the US Capitol in Washington D.C, Jan. 6, 2021. Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images
These mirrored insurrections have prompted discussion on the future of democracy in both Brazil and the U.S. The Western world has been quick to call this protest in Brazil an anti-democratic attack of the government. This is likely due to the long history of democracy in these countries and their desire to promote peaceful transitions of power. Although, some people say this is not quite the anti-democratic demonstration that is being called. Defenders of those who stormed the capital explain that the desired outcome of the protest is uncertain, and it cannot be determined if those participating knew what they were actually doing. They continue to justify these actions by saying they were defending the idea of democracy, they just simply believed that Bolsonaro won the election and deserved to stay in power. This idea is also reflected in the reasons said to be the driving force of the American insurrection in 2021, as people on the right wing were quick to defend the actions of these protestors. The power of political leaders and their strong influence over their loyal supporters now poses an unexpected threat to democracy. As electoral systems and the democratic processes are said to be untrustworthy, people have started to question if democracy can survive in a world of misinformation.