On January 8, 2023, thousands of protesters in Brazil stormed the Presidential Building, Supreme Court, and Parliament, destroying offices and spreading violence. The attack was led by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who lost the 2022 presidential election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula). Bolsonaro had been making claims of election fraud and had been meeting with Trump officials in the US.
The protesters were motivated by Bolsonaro's claims and were also influenced by his son, who was expressing support for the protesters on social media. The violence was eventually brought under control by the military, with over 1,500 people arrested.
The incident has been compared to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, with similarities in the tactics and motivations of the protesters. Bolsonaro has been accused of making inflammatory statements and promoting violence, and has been compared to Donald Trump in his style and rhetoric.
The new president, Lula, has a complex history, having been imprisoned for corruption charges that were later found to be false. He has been a pro-India leader and his presidency is expected to be beneficial for India, which is Brazil's largest trading partner in South America.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. On January 8, 2023, a video post went viral on Twitter showing protesters in Brazil.
2. The protesters entered the Presidential Building, Supreme Court, and Parliament in Brazil.
3. The protesters destroyed offices in these buildings, causing damage and spreading their blood, urine, and feces.
4. The attack was allegedly planned by the political party of former Brazilian President Bolsonaro.
5. Bolsonaro's party was opposed to the newly appointed President of Brazil, Lula.
6. Lula had recently served 50,080 days in jail.
7. The planning of the attack began a year ago and was not revealed to the public until a coded message was leaked on social media.
8. The coded message was a secret code word inviting people to participate in the attack.
9. The message was shared 53,000 times on Telegram and a group related to the party was formed.
10. The attack was compared to the attack on the US Capitol building in 2021.
11. Bolsonaro's party filed an investigation request and requested protesters to remain peaceful.
12. Despite this, the protests turned violent, and the Brazilian military had to arrest over 1,500 people.
13. Bolsonaro was hospitalized in Florida, allegedly due to stomach pain caused by a stabbing in 2018.
14. Lula, the current President of Brazil, was previously imprisoned for corruption charges, but was later released after the court found that he was falsely accused.
15. Lula has been a pro-India president and has advised Brazilian diplomats to visit India frequently to deepen relations between the two countries.
16. India is a major trading partner with Brazil in South America.
17. Leaders from around the world expressed their support for Brazil after the attack.
18. The Brazilian Election Commission, Defense Ministry, and 12 associations investigated the 2022 elections and found no evidence of fraud.