Brazilian Judge Issues Arrest Order of High-ranking Security Officials In The Braslia Riot
After protesters stormed several government buildings in Braslia, the Brazilian judge issues arrest order of security officials. Local media have reported the arrest of one officer; he was the previous head of the military police.
Author:Hajra ShannonReviewer:Paula M. GrahamJan 12, 2023227 Shares32.4K Views
After protesters stormed several government buildings in Braslia, the Brazilian judge issues arrest order of security officials. Local media have reported the arrest of one officer; he was the previous head of the military police.
The attorney general's office said that the officials include Anderson Torres, the former head of public security in Braslia, as well as others "responsible for actions and omissions" that contributed to the disturbances.
Supreme Court Ordered The Arrest Of Two Top Security Officials
Days after supporters of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro stormed the congress, presidential palace, and supreme court in the apparent intention of overturning the government, a senior justice on Brazil's highest court ordered the arrest of two top security personnel in the city on Tuesday.
According to a court official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter, warrants for the arrests of Anderson Torres, the public security chief for the federal district of Braslia, and Col. Fábio Augusto, the commander of military police in the district, were approved by Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
Police have been accused of helping the rioters who invaded and trashed the buildings on Sunday by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and members of the supreme court. Torres was Bolsonaro's justice minister but was dismissed from his position on Sunday. On Monday, Augusto was fired from his position.
Brazil riots: Arrests ordered for top officials after capital stormed | Oneindia News *International
How Riots Started
Rioting broke out a week after Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, also known as Lula, took office as president. Thousands of protestors, some wearing yellow Brazil football jerseys and waving flags, overran police and trashed the capital of the Brazilian state, creating spectacular scenes.
About 600 of the roughly 1,500 persons detained during the disturbance and transported to the police academy have reportedly been transferred to other institutions, where prosecutors have five days to file formal charges.
Former president went to the United States before the 1 January transfer and has denounced the rioting but has not conceded loss in the close election that has split the country since last October.
He was attacked with a knife during his 2018 election campaign, and on Monday he was rushed to a hospital in Florida complaining of stomach discomfort. Word on the street is that he was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday.
Mr. Bolsonaro told CNN on Tuesday that he plans to return to Brazil sooner than expected, moving up his departure from the United States from the end of January.
Several camps of Mr. Bolsonaro's followers have been established up in front of army bases across the nation since the presidential election, and on the day following the riots, heavily armed police began demolishing one of these camps in Braslia.
On Sunday, Braslia governor Ibaneis Rocha removed Mr. Torres, who had previously served as Mr. Bolsonaro's minister of justice, from his position as Secretary of Public Security.
The Esplanada avenue, flanked with government buildings and national monuments, was filled with protesters since daybreak. In the hours before the pandemonium, the roads encircling parliament were blocked and armed police pairs guarded every entry.
On Sunday morning local time, the BBC saw 50 police officers and automobiles were turned away at access points as pedestrians were frisked by police inspecting luggage.
According to BBC South America journalist Katy Watson, some demonstrators want President Lula back in jail. She said Mr. Bolsonaro has been silent since losing October's elections, allowing his most fervent fans to stay outraged about a democratic election he lawfully lost.
Involvement Of Police In Riots
When the riots broke out on Sunday afternoon, authorities claim there were members of at least five police groups in the Plaza of Three Powers. As bolsonaristas entered the government buildings, many reportedly stood aside.
Tuesday, Communications Minister Paulo Pimenta claimed that investigators now suspect that members of the plaza's security team, including members of their own families, were in "collusion" with the rioters.
“„They’re not going to go after their own relatives.- Paulo Pimenta, Communications Minister
According to Paulo Pimenta, security officers seemed to be under the impression that the rioters would succeed in generating enough havoc to warrant the deployment of Brazil's Guarantee of Law and Order and the subsequent takeover of the city by the military.
Some cops were seen on video from the Brazilian news site O Globo smiling and taking selfies when protesters stormed the premises of the congress.
Final Thought
Some six hours after the violence began, the former president took to Twitter to denounce the assault and deny culpability for instigating the rioters. His son, Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, claimed on Tuesday that his father has been "licking his wounds" in silence since losing the race, and that it would be unfair to attempt to tie him to the rioting.
Hajra Shannon
Author
Paula M. Graham
Reviewer
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