Brazilian Congress stormed, What we know so far?

• Brazil held a bitter election two months ago.
• Disinformation and extremism have taken on a life of their own.
• Many Bolsonaro fans supporters refuse to acknowledge his defeat.

Thousands of supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the country’s Congress, Supreme Court, and the presidential palace.

They vandalized the buildings that house Brazil’s important democratic institutions while wearing shirts with the vivid yellow and green of the Brazilian flag. What is causing this?

Brazil held a bitter election two months ago

During the presidential elections in October 2022, the far-right incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro, will face a left-wing candidate, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, better known as Lula.

Following an acrimonious and bitter campaign, Lula, who was president from January 2003 to December 2010, narrowly defeated Mr. Bolsonaro in the October 30 run-off.

Lula said the storming was “without precedent” and termed those behind it “fanatic fascists”.

He also accused Mr. Bolsonaro of supporting rioters’ conduct on social media. “Everyone is aware that the ex-president has made numerous remarks advocating this,” he stated.

It is a profoundly divided country

Brazil is a deeply divided society, and the storming of its Congress is a spectacular example of how far some Brazilians are willing to go to undermine democratic institutions that they claim no longer represent them.

This isn’t just about left vs right, but also about those who refuse to accept the outcome of a democratic election when it goes against their wishes, venting their wrath on symbols of Brazilian democracy.

Those who participated in the rioting are at the extreme end of the spectrum, but there are many more opponents of Lula who circulated false information about him and stoked the flames that led to the events of Sunday.

Many Bolsonaro supporters refuse to acknowledge his defeat

Many of Jair Bolsonaro’s followers considered him a “savior” who they said defended principles they hold dear, which they identified as “God, fatherland, family”.

They bet on Mr. Bolsonaro to defeat Lula, whom they saw as a danger to those values, believing bogus rumors that the left-wing candidate would shut down churches if elected.

These voters were confident Lula would lose, and they did not accept his victory calmly.

Some protested in front of military installations, pleading with the military to prevent him from becoming president, even if it meant a military coup.

The military, however, did not intervene, and Lula was sworn in as planned.

Lula took up residence at the presidential palace. It offended several Bolsonaro fans

Rioting has erupted in Brasilia, the capital, just a week after Lula was sworn in.

Mr. Bolsonaro, who refused to accept loss, skipped the event in favor of a trip to the United States.

Those who had placed their hopes in Mr. Bolsonaro defeating Lula just grew more enraged.

Those who constantly characterize Lula as a “communist threat to Brazil” found it difficult to watch him enter the office and move inside the presidential palace.

Feeling let down by the military, they opted to take matters into their own hands, assaulting institutions that they believe not only do not represent them but also pose a direct threat to what they value.

Disinformation and extremism have taken on a life of their own

Jair Bolsonaro’s divisive statements and questioning of the legitimacy of Brazil’s political system contributed significantly to the outpouring of rage in Brazil on Sunday.

During the campaign, he constantly asserted that Brazil’s electronic voting system was open to fraud, which the electoral officials denied.

Many Brazilians, however, believe the election was “stolen,” despite the fact that Mr. Bolsonaro’s party’s petition was dismissed by the electoral court.

Following the riots, Jair Bolsonaro took to Twitter to refute Lula’s claim that he gave multiple speeches promoting the disturbance in Brasilia.

He stated that “pillaging and invasions of public buildings like as occurred today” were illegal.

However, the fanaticism of those who assaulted the country’s political institutions has taken on a life of its own and will be difficult to control.

Also Read

Brazil elections: Bolsonaro and Lula compete for the top position

President Jair Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party was defeated by Luiz Inácio...