Attacks in Brasilia pose a risk to democracy in Latin America, says researcher

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The coup attacks by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro in Brasilia could hurt not only democracy in Brazil, but throughout Latin America.

The assessment is by André Coelho, a professor at the School of Political Science at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro and a specialist in Latin American democracies.

He says that, given the importance and leading role of Brazil in the region, the acts of barbarism registered on Sunday (8) could stimulate extremist groups in neighboring countries.

The unprecedented attack on democracy in Brasilia is, at all times, compared to the invasion of the US Capitol by supporters of Republican Donald Trump, in January 2021.

The similarities are many, and the invasion of the headquarters of the Three Powers has been called the Brazilian Capitol.

Professor Coelho warns that, in recent years, events of great repercussion in Brazil have been replicated in other Latin American countries.

• He cites as an example what he calls the internationalization of car wash services. According to the expert, lawsuits against leftist leaders gained weight in Brazil and then had the formula “exported” to neighbors.

• Likewise, the 1964 military coup in Brazil inaugurated a series of other coups in the following decades, after a brief wave of democratization in Latin America with the end of World War II (1939-1945).

The risk of contagion is amplified by the history of political instability in Latin America.

Peru, for example, is experiencing a constant crisis and has had no less than 6 presidents in 6 years.

Currently, the country is in social upheaval. More than 40 people have already died in protests against President Dina Boluarte organized by supporters of Pedro Castillo, ousted from the presidency and arrested after a failed coup attempt.

Instability in Peru increased when candidate Keiko Fujimori did not accept defeat in the 2021 presidential election.

Latin America has a long history of alternating between democracy and authoritarianism. But Professor Coelho considers that the region is going through the greatest democratic period since the end of the 1980s, despite the still many problems in the region.

• “That is why democracy in Latin America still needs a lot of care. It is essential that institutions remain functioning and that political actors seek consensus to reduce polarization”says Coelho, author of the book “Why do presidents fall? Contestation and permanence in Latin America”.

It is in this context that the authorities’ response to the criminal acts that took place in Brasília is essential to curb new attacks.

More than the arrests of those involved, Professor Coelho says that the authorities should investigate the financing of the coup attacks in Brasilia and develop strategies to curb new anti-democratic actions.

The attacks on the headquarters of the Three Powers were repudiated by leaders around the world, even by politicians ideologically aligned with Bolsonaro, as is the case of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

In Latin America, the presidents of Chile, Gabriel Boric, and Colombia, Gustavo Petro, urged the Organization of American States (OAS) to hold the meeting that discussed the coup attempt.

The meeting was on Wednesday. Unanimously, the OAS condemned acts “of a fascist character” in Brazil.

Capitol Invasion, Two Years Later

In the US, efforts to investigate the crimes resulted in what is considered the largest investigation in the history of the FBI.

The American federal police claims to have analyzed 30,000 video files that add up to nine terabytes of information – a volume that, if placed on a single track, would add up to 361 days. The results of the investigations against the Capitol invaders are summarized below.

• More than 950 people were arrested.

• The longest sentence so far was given to a former New York military and retired police officer, Thomas Webster, 56, who was sentenced to just over 10 years in prison for, among other things, assaulting a police officer.

• Suits have already been filed against 940 people, according to the Program on Extremism at George Washington University. More than half of the defendants, 482, pleaded guilty, and another 44 were found guilty. Only one person ended up innocent.

A good part of the arrests occurred with the identification of selfies and videos published by the invaders themselves.

• A student from Kentucky, Gracyn Courtright, for example, posted a photo on social media at the entrance to the Capitol, with the caption: “I can’t wait to tell my grandchildren that I was here.”

The message ended up being used in the process in which she was sentenced to 30 days in prison and another 12 months on probation. You can follow other cases here in the report by the correspondent of the Sheet in Washington, Thiago Amâncio.

Former President Donald Trump, who roused the crowd before the invasion of the Capitol, is criminally investigated for his involvement in the case.

What about Bolsonaro? The former president is still in Florida, in the USA, and said after the invasion that he intends to anticipate his return to Brazil, without saying when.

Bolsonaro had abdominal pain and had to be admitted to Orlando. The former president said that in Brazil doctors already know how to deal with his intestinal obstruction problem due to the stabbing he suffered in 2018.

The intention to anticipate the return was announced after a statement made by Ned Price, spokesman for the US State Department, signaling that the former president cannot remain in the US with the head of state visa he used to enter the country.

That’s right. If you do not seek the US government by the end of January to change the visa category – such as a tourist one –, Bolsonaro’s situation in the US will be considered irregular and he may even be deported.

picture of the week

Where: Vatican

What happened: In a crowded St. Peter’s Square, bishops and cardinals attend the funeral of pope emeritus Benedict XVI, who died on the 31st; his corpse was placed in the crypt where the body of John Paul II was until 2011.

And the war?

Russia announced the first ceasefire in the conflict that began almost 11 months ago. Sign of better times? Unfortunately not.

The 36-hour truce was unilaterally proposed by Moscow last Thursday for the celebration of the Orthodox Church’s Christmas, celebrated according to the old Julian calendar on Saturday (7).

But the deal was rejected by Kiev, which considered it hypocritical. Zelensky said Putin wanted to buy time to redeploy equipment and troops. In addition to holding back Kiev’s actions, the ceasefire would be a publicity stunt to paint Ukrainians as aggressors.

Didn’t give another one. The Russian Defense Ministry has accused Ukrainian forces of carrying out attacks to violate the truce that Kiev has not adhered to.

Heavy Russian attacks resumed as soon as the ceasefire ended on Sunday.

This Wednesday (11), the Kremlin announced that it changed for the second time in three months the commander of its forces in the invasion of Ukraine.

The move seems destined to silence hardliners who demand a radicalization of actions in the neighboring country, sending the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Valeri Gerasimov, to the post.

What happened?

A selection of news to understand the world

Africa

Six journalists in South Sudan were arrested on Saturday (7) after a video began circulating on social media showing the president, Salva Kiir, 71, apparently urinating in his pants at an official event.

Middle East

Iran has sentenced former Deputy Defense Minister Alireza Akbari to death on charges of spying for UK secret services. He has Iranian and British citizenship and has been in prison since 2019. The case started a new diplomatic crisis.

Asia

China has finally reopened its international borders. The blockade was one of the last remnants of the controversial zero Covid policy, established by the regime at the beginning of the pandemic, in 2020, and largely relaxed last December.