Governments around the world and leaders on Monday reacted with shock and dismay to the assault on Brazil’s Congress, Supreme Court and Presidential Palace by thousands of supporters of far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro.
The rebels refuse to accept Bolsonaro’s defeat in the recent elections. The former president made no public statements, bluntly admitting that he lost.
Turkey on Monday expressed solidarity with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after the incident with the storming of the Brazilian capital.
“We condemn acts of violence against the government led by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Congress and the Constitutional Court of Brazil,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Expressing solidarity with the government of President Lula da Silva and the Brazilian people in the face of acts of violence, the ministry said: “It is important to respect the election results and the democratic processes that reflect the will of the people in the country. .”
US President Joe Biden tweeted to condemn the attack.
“I condemn the attack on democracy and the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil. The democratic institutions of Brazil have our full support, and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined. I look forward to continuing to work with @LulaOfficial,” he wrote. .
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said: “The attempted coup d’état by the Brazilian conservatives, instigated by the leadership of the oligarchic government, their representatives and fanatics, is reprehensible and undemocratic. Lula is not alone, he has the support of progressive forces in his country, Mexico, the Americas and the world.”
“The will of the Brazilian people and democratic institutions must be respected! President @LulaOfficial can count on France’s unwavering support,” French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday that “violent attacks on democratic institutions are an attack on democracy that cannot be tolerated” and that Berlin “supports President Lulu and the Brazilians.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had condemned the actions of those behind the unrest in “the strongest terms.”
China on Monday said it “closely monitors and strongly opposes the violent attack on the federal government in Brazil on January 8,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said, adding that Beijing “supports the measures taken by the Brazilian government to calm the situation and restore public order.” and maintain national stability.”
In a tweet addressed to Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote that he was “deeply concerned about the news of the riots and vandalism.”
“Democratic traditions must be respected by all. We fully support the Brazilian authorities,” Modi said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen denounced “the attack on democracy in Brazil” on Twitter, while European Council President Charles Michel wrote that Lula was “democratically elected by millions of Brazilians in fair and free elections” and received the full support of the EU. .
During the violence in Brazil, Bolsonaro’s supporters looted the National Congress building by breaking through barricades, climbing onto the roof and breaking windows.
They then directed their fury at the nearby Supreme Court and the Palacio do Planalto, the President’s official office. It took the security forces several hours to regain control over the area.
