Modi, Biden condemn mob violence by defeated former Brazilian President Bolsonaro's supporters

Sandeep Dikshit 

New Delhi, January 9

Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined several world leaders in expressing deep concern over defeated former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters storming the country’s Supreme Court, Congress and the Presidential palace against Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva taking over after a narrow win.

Portraying themselves as nationalists by adorning shirts in yellow and green colours of Brazil’s flag, the protestors trashed buildings in the political capital Brasilia where most of the democratic institutions are based.

“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,” tweeted the Prime Minister. He also tagged the new Brazilian President Lula, leaving little doubt about New Delhi’s backing to the democratically elected President.

Other world leaders also condemned the violence, including US President Joe Biden who condemned the assault on democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil.

“Brazil’s democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined. I look forward to continuing to work with Lula,” he tweeted.

French President Emmanuel Macron also tweeted his support for Lula, saying: “The will of the Brazilian people and the democratic institutions must be respected!” The EU and almost all leaders of Latin America also showed solidarity with Lula.

Fearing prosecution, Bolsonaro fled Brazil for the US and was pictured having a good time in Florida when he should, as per convention, have handed over the Presidential sash to Lula at his swearing-in.

The mob attack was also criticised by the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “We condemn the attacks on Brazil’s Presidency, Congress, and Supreme Court today. Using violence to attack democratic institutions is always unacceptable,” he tweeted from Mexico and backed Lula, with whom the US has had a fraught relationship.

Brazilian Communist Party leader and Justice Minister Flavio Dino said at least 200 rioters have been arrested and the situation in and around Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace is under control after security forces fired tear gas at the mobs.

“This is terrorism, it’s a coup. We are certain that the vast majority of the population doesn’t want this darkness to be implemented,” the local media quoted Dino as saying.

“I want to believe that the Governor will determine the responsibilities in relation to those who didn’t fulfil their constitutional duties,” he added, hinting at dereliction of duty among some officials of the security forces.

Lula allies also claimed government weapons were stolen. The chief of communication Paulo Pimenta tweeted, “we are in the Institutional Security Office room. In each of these briefcases (there) were both lethal and non-lethal weapons. They were stolen by criminals.”

Bolsonaro tweeted that “peaceful demonstrations, in the form of the law, are part of democracy”. But he also condemned the “invasions of public buildings as occurred today”

In a statement, Lula, said the mob violence was unprecedented and called the rioters “fanatic fascists”. He also charged the security forces of “incompetence, bad faith or malice”.

“We are going to find out who the financiers of these vandals who went to Brasilia are and they will all pay with the force of law. Everybody knows there are various speeches of the ex-president (Bolsonaro) encouraging this,” he added.

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

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 9, 2023