"Mood is heated": In Brazil, Lula struggles for democracy

International

Brazil is going through a political crisis.

Historical images go around the world: hundreds People stormed government buildings, including Congress, in the capital Brasília. They are images reminiscent of the storming of the US Capitol – and the parallels are no coincidence.

Like US President Joe Biden, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula) now faces the challenge of uniting the divided country. Biden and Lula find themselves fighting far-right forces fueled by lies, unproven rumors and strategists pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Brazilians fear the riots will spread

Although Lula was able to bring the riots under control, the situation remains tense. “The atmosphere in Brazil is very heated”, says Anja Czymmeck when asked by watson. Since August 2019, she has headed the Brazilian office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, which is close to the CDU.

According to Czymmeck, the majority of the population rejects the riots, but the topic nevertheless causes heated discussions among family and friends. She says:

But who are these Bolsonaro supporters and what do they want to achieve?

Strict believers, gun enthusiasts and military among Bolsonaro supporters

“They belong to all generations and social classes,” explains Czymmeck. Among them also cavort:

According to Czymmeck, these people became addicted to fake news, conspiracy theories and the right-wing extremism be influenced. Nevertheless, not all Bolsonaro supporters supported such a radical approach. “It’s important to make precise distinctions,” says the Brazilian-based expert.

However, according to her, many Bolsonaro supporters glorify a possible military dictatorship. They would like to trade them for the Lula-led Democratic government, says Czymmeck.

Already foiled attacks

According to the expert, in the eyes of Bolsonaro fans, Lula is a corrupt, left-wing politician who wants to lead Brazil into communism. Security precautions had already been tightened immediately before Lula’s inauguration, explains Czymmeck. She further says:

According to Czymmeck, the arrested extremist said he planned the attack in the hope that a state of emergency would be declared and the military would take control of the state.

However, the inauguration on January 1, 2023 was peaceful and without any significant incidents. “It was also referred to as the ‘Festival of Democracy’ and was interpreted by many as a victory over Bolsonarianism,” says Czymmeck. But the tide was to turn quickly.

Lula fights for democracy in Brazil

Immediately after the inauguration, numerous Bolsonaro supporters mobilized nationwide via social media to travel to Brasília. According to Czymmeck, it is not yet clear why the Brazilian secret services and security officers did not know how to avoid the attack on the democratic institutions. For example, who paid for the transport and food costs for the radicalized crowd?

Questions that Brazilian President Lula is also asking himself.

on Twitter he writes: “It’s not possible for a movement to last that long if there aren’t people to fund it.” He will ensure that these sources of money are tracked down. According to Lula, it has been difficult for Brazilians to establish democracy in this country. “We must learn to live together democratically in diversity,” he proclaims.

Lula sends a signal: Arm in arm, he and the 27 governors walk down the ramp of the Palácio do Planalto seat of government to defend democracy in Brazil.

But how strong is this arm-in-arm chain really? The appearance stages a symbolic unit, but in reality there are many Bolsonaro supporters in Lula’s government.

Politicians and police officers loyal to Bolsonaro are threatening Lula’s government

The State Secretary for Internal Security in the federal capital, Brasília, Anderson Torres, was fired by his superior, Governor Ibaneis Rocha, on the day of the riots. “An arrest warrant was issued against Torres because he failed to fulfill his duty to ensure public safety,” says expert Czymmeck. In addition, it should be determined whether he knew about the preparations for the storm. Torres is currently on vacation in the United States, where Bolsonaro is also staying.

Governor Rocha has also been suspended as a result of the escalation by the President of the Supreme Court, Alexander de Moraes. “Furthermore, investigations are being carried out into politicians at lower levels of government and military police officers who are said to have actively supported the riots or intentionally failed to stop them,” explains Czymmeck. She further says:

In view of the tense situation, an increase in security measures to guarantee Lula’s physical integrity is conceivable.

Military coup was the goal

Czymmeck explains that the radical forces among Bolsonaro supporters in particular have doubts about the election result. They wanted to express their resistance by storming the democratic institutions. Unlike the storming of the US Capitol, the goal of the strikers in Brazil was not to annul the election results, but to effect a military coup. This plan was thwarted by the intervention of the national security forces on the orders of President Lula.

According to Czymmeck, there were already some indications of possible incidents in the run-up to the riots. Since the ex-president’s defeat in the run-off election on October 30, 2022, the extreme Bolsonarians have been gathering in front of the armed forces’ headquarters to call for a military coup.