Last week, Lula announced a “thorough” review of palace staff, saying he was convinced that protesters who invaded the presidential palace received help from within.
Brazilian President Lula continued on Wednesday the purge within the military apparatus in the service of the executive while attacking again Jair Bolsonaro, whom he considers responsible for the riots of January 8 in Brasilia. Thirteen soldiers in charge of security have been dismissed, the Official Journal announced on Wednesday.
This news comes the day after the announcement of the dismissal of 40 soldiers assigned to the presidential residence of Alvorada, located in the capital, where the seats of the presidency, Congress and the Supreme Court were ransacked by supporters of the ex-head of the far-right state.
“He is responsible for it”
“I don’t know if the former president ordered” the riots, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Wednesday during a ceremony with unions in the Planalto palace. “What I know is that he is responsible for it because he spent four years inciting people to hate.”
On the day of the attack, the former metalworker and trade unionist said that Jair Bolsonaro, whose name he did not mention, however, had “provoked” and “encouraged” the riots through “speeches” when he was in charge of Brazil (2019-22).
The ex-president, who had left Brazil for the United States two days before the inauguration of his leftist successor, denied any involvement, while “deploring” these events which he described as “incredible” . He is under investigation.
The soldiers returned on Wednesday were part of the Institutional Security Cabinet (GSI), a government body responsible for assisting the Head of State in his national security and defense policy.
