Brazilian Congress Approves Federal Intervention to Safeguard Capital

The Brazilian Congress approved on Tuesday, by eight votes against Bolsonarist senators, the federal government’s intervention in the security of the Federal District, where the capital of Brasilia is located, issued on Sunday by decree of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

In a symbolic vote, the Senate (upper house) approved the measure with vote against parliamentarians supporting former President Jair Bolsonarothe day after the Chamber of Deputies (lower house) approved the decision, a vote resulted in the former PR’s supporters deciding to leave first.

“This anti-democratic minority does not represent the Brazilian people. This minority instigating a coup will not impose its will through barbarism, force and criminal acts.”, emphasized the President of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco.

“This extremist minority will be identified, investigated and held accountable, as well as its financiers, organizers and public agents, whom they deliberately ignored,” the parliamentarian added, recalling the attacks that took place on Sunday, when hundreds of Bolsonarists invaded and destroyed the main public buildings in the Brazilian capital.

The measure comes into force and will be valid until the end of January.

“The people want respect for the law, institutions and state property. The best answer we can give now is more democracy,” Mayor Arthur Lira said on Monday.

Thus, while the measure received unanimous approval from the Chamber of Deputies, some Bolsonarists, such as Liberal Party (LP) MPs Carla Zambelli and Bia Kichis, attempted to delay the vote, saying they needed more time to analyze the presidential decree.

For Kichish, this measure was unjustified, since the situation in Brazil was already under control.

“The police tried to restrain him, there were failures, but I must say that it was already under control”claimed.

The PL and the New Party were the only two benches in the Chamber of Deputies to abstain.

Although a federal intervention order has the force of law because it is signed by the president, it requires the approval of both houses of Congress, which can approve or reject the text without changing it.

The Brasilia authorities have been repeatedly questioned for their handling of the political crisis, criticizing the passivity with which they acted during break-ins and acts of vandalism happened on Sunday.

“Media” echoed the videos published on social networks, in which several police officers dispassionately watch Bolsonaro’s supporters infiltrate the federal expanses.

Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro raided and vandalized the headquarters of the Federal Supreme Court, Congress and the Planalto Palace in Brasilia on Sunday, forcing police to intervene to restore order and drawing condemnation from the international community.

The military police succeeded in regaining control of the headquarters of the three powers in an operation that resulted in the detention of about 1,500 people.

The invasion came after Brazilian far-right militants, supporters of the former president, who was defeated by Lula da Silva in elections last October, protested the Esplanade dos Ministerios.

However, Federal Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes suspended Federal District Governor Ibanez Rocha for 90 days, given that both the governor and former Minister of Security and former Minister of Justice Bolsonaro Anderson Torres acted with negligence and omission.