Brazil authorities link Supreme Court bomb attack to extremist discourse
A Brazilian Supreme Court justice linked Wednesday's failed bomb attack on the court with far-right hate speech while the country’s police chief said it is being investigated as an act of terrorism. The police director also said the Supreme Court has received fresh threats since the blasts.
Issued on: 14/11/2024 -
A Brazilian Supreme Court justice linked Wednesday's failed bomb attack on the court with far-right hate speech while the country’s police chief said it is being investigated as an act of terrorism. The police director also said the Supreme Court has received fresh threats since the blasts.
Issued on: 14/11/2024 -
01:52
Police cordon off the Supreme Court in Brasilia, Brazil following an explosion on Wednesday, November 13, 2024. © Eraldo Peres, AP
A Brazilian Supreme Court justice said Thursday that he believes the explosion outside the court in capital Brasilia was the consequence of frequent far-right attacks and hate speech targeting the country’s institutions.
“It grew under the guise of a criminal use of freedom of speech. To offend, threaten, coerce," Justice Alexandre de Moraes said at an event in Brasilia.
Federal Police are investigating the explosions on Wednesday as terrorism and a violent attack on the democratic rule of law, its director, Andrei Passos Rodrigues, said at a news conference later.
He said that the man had attempted to enter the Supreme Court and that it appeared that he acted alone, though the police official indicated he also was viewing the attack in the broader context of extremism.
“Even if the visible action is individual, behind that action there is never just one person. It's always a group, or ideas of a group, or extremism, radicalism, that lead to committing those crimes,” Passos Rodrigues said. “The action, in fact, was an individual action, but the investigation will tell if there are other connections, if there are other networks, what's behind it, what drove it.”
The police director also said the Supreme Court has received fresh threats via email, without specifying when.
Security camera footage provided by the Supreme Court shows the suspect approaching a statue outside the building. As a guard nears, the man throws an explosive and retreats a few steps, then throws a second device and an explosion follows. Finally, the suspect ignites a third device near to himself, causing his death.
Passos Rodrigues said that the man was a native of southern Santa Catarina state where he previously ran for city council, and had been in Brasilia several months. Police went to his Brasilia residence Thursday and used a robot to open a drawer that triggered “a very serious explosion,” he said.
Celina Leão, the lieutenant governor of Brazil’s federal district, said Wednesday night that the man first detonated explosives in a car in a Congress parking lot, which didn't cause injuries. Then he went to Three Powers Plaza, where the Supreme Court, Congress and presidential palace are located.
Local media identified the man as being a member of Brazil’s Liberal Party, the same as former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro has railed against the Supreme Court in the past and specifically focused his ire on de Moraes.
Bolsonaro supporters consider de Moraes their chief enemy. He has led a five-year investigation into fake news and threats against Supreme Court justices, which has led to the ban of some far-right allies and supporters from social media and even some imprisonments. He also presided over the nation’s top electoral court when it ruled Bolsonaro ineligible for office until 2030, finding that he had abused his power and cast unfounded doubts on the validity of the 2022 election result.
Bolsonaro condemned the attack on social media.
“It is high time for Brazil to once again cultivate an environment suitable for different ideas to confront each other peacefully, and for the strength of arguments to be worth more than the argument of force,” he wrote.
Some accuse de Moraes of overstepping in the name of protecting Brazilian democracy from political violence and disinformation. Others view his brash tactics as justified by extraordinary circumstances.
Months after Bolsonaro lost his 2022 election bid, his supporters stormed the main government buildings in Brasilia, seeking to oust his leftist successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, from power. It was widely seen as an echo of the insurrection in the U.S. Capitol two years earlier.
The Supreme Court has since convicted hundreds of those involved in the uprising for crimes such as criminal association and attempted coup.
De Moraes said Thursday that the explosions outside the Supreme Court appeared to be the most serious attack on the institution since then.
“The country’s pacification is only possible with the accountability of all criminals. There is no possibility of pacification with amnesty for criminals,” de Moraes said.
Earlier this year, de Moraes ordered a nationwide ban of X after clashing with its billionaire owner, Elon Musk, over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation. Musk had disparaged de Moraes, calling him an authoritarian and a censor, even though his rulings, including X’s suspension, were repeatedly upheld by his peers. The platform was reinstated in October.
Brazil will host the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro next week. Passos Rodrigues said that the bombing shouldn’t raise any concerns, given that authorities are already implementing the highest level security possible, including with support of the armed forces.
“I am going this afternoon, shortly, to Rio de Janeiro, where I will personally accompany all actions so we can have the absolute guarantee of security,” he added.
(AP)
A Brazilian Supreme Court justice said Thursday that he believes the explosion outside the court in capital Brasilia was the consequence of frequent far-right attacks and hate speech targeting the country’s institutions.
“It grew under the guise of a criminal use of freedom of speech. To offend, threaten, coerce," Justice Alexandre de Moraes said at an event in Brasilia.
Federal Police are investigating the explosions on Wednesday as terrorism and a violent attack on the democratic rule of law, its director, Andrei Passos Rodrigues, said at a news conference later.
He said that the man had attempted to enter the Supreme Court and that it appeared that he acted alone, though the police official indicated he also was viewing the attack in the broader context of extremism.
“Even if the visible action is individual, behind that action there is never just one person. It's always a group, or ideas of a group, or extremism, radicalism, that lead to committing those crimes,” Passos Rodrigues said. “The action, in fact, was an individual action, but the investigation will tell if there are other connections, if there are other networks, what's behind it, what drove it.”
The police director also said the Supreme Court has received fresh threats via email, without specifying when.
Security camera footage provided by the Supreme Court shows the suspect approaching a statue outside the building. As a guard nears, the man throws an explosive and retreats a few steps, then throws a second device and an explosion follows. Finally, the suspect ignites a third device near to himself, causing his death.
Passos Rodrigues said that the man was a native of southern Santa Catarina state where he previously ran for city council, and had been in Brasilia several months. Police went to his Brasilia residence Thursday and used a robot to open a drawer that triggered “a very serious explosion,” he said.
Celina Leão, the lieutenant governor of Brazil’s federal district, said Wednesday night that the man first detonated explosives in a car in a Congress parking lot, which didn't cause injuries. Then he went to Three Powers Plaza, where the Supreme Court, Congress and presidential palace are located.
Local media identified the man as being a member of Brazil’s Liberal Party, the same as former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro has railed against the Supreme Court in the past and specifically focused his ire on de Moraes.
Bolsonaro supporters consider de Moraes their chief enemy. He has led a five-year investigation into fake news and threats against Supreme Court justices, which has led to the ban of some far-right allies and supporters from social media and even some imprisonments. He also presided over the nation’s top electoral court when it ruled Bolsonaro ineligible for office until 2030, finding that he had abused his power and cast unfounded doubts on the validity of the 2022 election result.
Bolsonaro condemned the attack on social media.
“It is high time for Brazil to once again cultivate an environment suitable for different ideas to confront each other peacefully, and for the strength of arguments to be worth more than the argument of force,” he wrote.
Some accuse de Moraes of overstepping in the name of protecting Brazilian democracy from political violence and disinformation. Others view his brash tactics as justified by extraordinary circumstances.
Months after Bolsonaro lost his 2022 election bid, his supporters stormed the main government buildings in Brasilia, seeking to oust his leftist successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, from power. It was widely seen as an echo of the insurrection in the U.S. Capitol two years earlier.
The Supreme Court has since convicted hundreds of those involved in the uprising for crimes such as criminal association and attempted coup.
De Moraes said Thursday that the explosions outside the Supreme Court appeared to be the most serious attack on the institution since then.
“The country’s pacification is only possible with the accountability of all criminals. There is no possibility of pacification with amnesty for criminals,” de Moraes said.
Earlier this year, de Moraes ordered a nationwide ban of X after clashing with its billionaire owner, Elon Musk, over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation. Musk had disparaged de Moraes, calling him an authoritarian and a censor, even though his rulings, including X’s suspension, were repeatedly upheld by his peers. The platform was reinstated in October.
Brazil will host the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro next week. Passos Rodrigues said that the bombing shouldn’t raise any concerns, given that authorities are already implementing the highest level security possible, including with support of the armed forces.
“I am going this afternoon, shortly, to Rio de Janeiro, where I will personally accompany all actions so we can have the absolute guarantee of security,” he added.
(AP)
By AFP
November 14, 2024
Police block off the scene where a man died after an explosion in front of Brazil's Supreme Federal Court, in Brasilia, on November 13, 2024 - Copyright AFP EVARISTO SA
Ramon SAHMKOW
Authorities in Brazil on Thursday were searching for the motive of a man who apparently tried to bomb the Supreme Court, killing himself in the process.
The Wednesday night attack comes just days before a G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro and Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to Brasilia, the capital where the bombing took place.
The man attempted in vain to enter the court building before setting off an explosion outside its doors, authorities said. There were no other injuries.
While a motive has not yet been determined, the bombing immediately evoked memories of last year’s attack on Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace in the wake of then-president Jair Bolsonaro’s defeat at the polls.
There were two blasts on Wednesday, one from a vehicle, then “right after, the citizen approached the Supreme Court, where he tried to enter the building and was unable to,” said Federal District Vice Governor Celina Leao.
The second explosion “happened right there at the door.”
Leao called the death a “suicide,” based on preliminary information, and said it was possible the man acted as a “lone wolf.”
The GloboNews channel, citing police documents, reported that the man, named as Francisco Wanderley Luiz, was the owner of the car that exploded.
He was a candidate in local elections in 2020, running as a member of far-right Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party.
In a post on social media, Attorney General Jorge Messias “vehemently” condemned “the attacks against the Supreme Federal Court and the Chamber of Deputies.”
The court, Congress and presidential palace all sit on the same square, Praca dos Tres Poderes, in the Brazilian capital.
Police would investigate the incident “with rigor and speed,” Messias said, adding: “We need to know the motive for the attacks, as well as restore peace and security as quickly as possible.”
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was not at the palace at the time of the attack, according to the presidency.
– Bolsonaro calls for dialogue –
Bolsonaro on Thursday called for dialogue toward an “environment of unity,” writing on social media that “it is high time for Brazil to once again cultivate an environment suitable for different ideas to confront each other peacefully.”
Denouncing the violence, he called it an isolated incident, and made an “appeal to all political parties and the leaders of national institutions to take the necessary steps to advance national peace at this time of tragedy.”
On January 8, 2023, the seats of power in Brasilia were hit by an insurrection a week after Lula defeated Bolsonaro at the polls.
Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters angry over his defeat stormed the government buildings, causing major damage before authorities managed to reimpose control.
Alexandre de Moraes, a powerful Supreme Court justice who has drawn ire from the right, is leading the investigation into the apparent coup attempt, which resembled the storming of the US Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump on January 6, 2021.
Wednesday’s incident did not cause any injuries or deaths beyond the apparent attack — though police had to tread carefully in the aftermath as the body was fitted with explosives and a timer.
Officers on patrol spotted the burning vehicle, from the first explosion, and then saw a man rush out, authorities said.
The Supreme Court said that at the end of a session, two loud explosions were heard, and that judges and staff on site were evacuated.
The G20 summit is set to open on Monday in Rio de Janeiro, bringing together leaders from major world economies. On Wednesday, Lula is set to receive Xi in Brasilia.
Man with explosives dies trying to enter Brazil’s Supreme Court
By AFP
November 13, 2024
A damaged car is seen near Brazil's Supreme Court in Brasilia after two blasts occurred, killing a man who tried to force his way into the court - Copyright AFP Sergio Lima
Ramon SAHMKOW
A man with explosives died Wednesday trying to enter Brazil’s Supreme Court in what appeared to be a suicide, officials said, days before the country hosts the G20 summit.
“This citizen approached the Federal Supreme Court, tried to enter, failed, and the explosion happened at the entrance,” Brasilia governor Celina Leao told reporters, adding that no one else was hurt.
The man’s body was located outside the court after two explosions occurred, but suspicious objects around it prevented immediate efforts to carry out identification, she said.
The first blast came from a car in the square outside the court around 7:30 pm (2230 GMT). The second one happened a few seconds later when the man tried to enter the court, and this blast killed him, the governor said.
The incident came ahead of a G20 summit next Monday and Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro that will gather leaders from around the world. Among them will be US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
After that summit, Xi is scheduled to stay on, going to Brasilia for a state visit next Wednesday.
The convergence of the G20 leaders on Brazil has been accompanied by heightened security arrangements in the country, particularly in Rio.
– Judges evacuated –
The Supreme Court said in a statement that two loud explosions rang out at the end of Wednesday’s session and that the judges were safely evacuated.
The court is located in the Praca dos Tres Poderes, which also fronts onto the presidential palace and the Congress.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was not in the palace at the time of the explosions, a spokesman said.
The presidential palace was sealed off and a large police contingent deployed around the plaza.
An AFP photographer in the area said the zone was locked down as heavy rain fell.
Federal police said they had opened an investigation to determine the circumstances of the blasts and any possible motive.
Police who had been patrolling the area noticed the car on fire and saw the man leaving the vehicle, said Sergeant Rodrigo Santos of the capital’s military police.
A government employee in the capital, Laiana Costa, told local media said she saw the man go by and “then there was a noise, and I looked back and there was fire and smoke coming out,” and security guards from the court rushing up.
The same area was the scene of high drama last year.
On January 8, 2023, the seats of power in Brasilia were hit by an insurrection a week after President Lula defeated the right-wing incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro at the polls.
Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters angry over his defeat stormed the government buildings, causing major damage before authorities managed to reimpose control.
The head of Brazil’s Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, said that rioting prompted “a change in security rules” for the presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court.
By AFP
November 13, 2024
A damaged car is seen near Brazil's Supreme Court in Brasilia after two blasts occurred, killing a man who tried to force his way into the court - Copyright AFP Sergio Lima
Ramon SAHMKOW
A man with explosives died Wednesday trying to enter Brazil’s Supreme Court in what appeared to be a suicide, officials said, days before the country hosts the G20 summit.
“This citizen approached the Federal Supreme Court, tried to enter, failed, and the explosion happened at the entrance,” Brasilia governor Celina Leao told reporters, adding that no one else was hurt.
The man’s body was located outside the court after two explosions occurred, but suspicious objects around it prevented immediate efforts to carry out identification, she said.
The first blast came from a car in the square outside the court around 7:30 pm (2230 GMT). The second one happened a few seconds later when the man tried to enter the court, and this blast killed him, the governor said.
The incident came ahead of a G20 summit next Monday and Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro that will gather leaders from around the world. Among them will be US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
After that summit, Xi is scheduled to stay on, going to Brasilia for a state visit next Wednesday.
The convergence of the G20 leaders on Brazil has been accompanied by heightened security arrangements in the country, particularly in Rio.
– Judges evacuated –
The Supreme Court said in a statement that two loud explosions rang out at the end of Wednesday’s session and that the judges were safely evacuated.
The court is located in the Praca dos Tres Poderes, which also fronts onto the presidential palace and the Congress.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was not in the palace at the time of the explosions, a spokesman said.
The presidential palace was sealed off and a large police contingent deployed around the plaza.
An AFP photographer in the area said the zone was locked down as heavy rain fell.
Federal police said they had opened an investigation to determine the circumstances of the blasts and any possible motive.
Police who had been patrolling the area noticed the car on fire and saw the man leaving the vehicle, said Sergeant Rodrigo Santos of the capital’s military police.
A government employee in the capital, Laiana Costa, told local media said she saw the man go by and “then there was a noise, and I looked back and there was fire and smoke coming out,” and security guards from the court rushing up.
The same area was the scene of high drama last year.
On January 8, 2023, the seats of power in Brasilia were hit by an insurrection a week after President Lula defeated the right-wing incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro at the polls.
Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters angry over his defeat stormed the government buildings, causing major damage before authorities managed to reimpose control.
The head of Brazil’s Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, said that rioting prompted “a change in security rules” for the presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court.
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