Brazil's Lula Says Bolsonaro Planned Riots

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Facts

• Brazilian Pres. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, speaking in an interview with broadcaster RedeTV! on Thursday, accused predecessor Jair Bolsonaro of actively participating in planning the storming of government offices on Jan. 8.^[1]
• The news came on the same day that Sen. Marcos do Val claimed he was invited to a meeting by a former Bolsonaro ally to discuss overturning the far-right leader's election loss.^[2]
• Do Val alleged that the meeting took place on Dec. 9, with the offer extended by congressman Daniel Silveira.^[3]
• According to Do Val, the alleged plan was to induce and record Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes, the head of Brazil's electoral authority, saying something compromising to prevent Lula from being sworn in. Bolsonaro backers had blamed Moraes for rigging the ballot in Lula's favor.^[1]
• Do Val initially told Veja magazine that it was Bolsonaro that presented the alleged plot to him before changing his tune and claiming that the former president remained 'silent' during the meeting.^[4]
• Bolsonaro, who has yet to acknowledge his election defeat, is being investigated by Brazil's Supreme Court for any potential role he played in the riots and has resided in Florida since late December.^[5]

Sources: ^[1]Al Jazeera, ^[2]Reuters, ^[3]Guardian, ^[4]France24 and ^[5]La Prensa Latina Media.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by The Brazilian Report. Even if the coup failed, accountability for what happened in Brazil is not only a matter of justice but is also crucial for the future of the country's democracy. The current investigation is likely to reveal a coordinated, multi-pronged attempt by Bolsonaro and his accomplices to undermine the election's result. Despite the many similarities to the US Capitol riots, the political influence of Brazil's military cannot be underestimated, and this is a concern that politicians must confront in the future.
• Right narrative, as provided by Systemupdate. The Jan. 8 storming of government buildings was relatively non-violent, despite the damage to the building interiors, with no grave injuries or deaths, and Bolsonaro never encouraged his supporters to gather that day, let alone attempt to stage a military coup. Mainstream media is promoting a conspiracy that doesn't exist while ignoring that Brazilians are fully capable of protesting and distrusting institutions without being guided by US politicians.

Predictions