Night of tense calm in Brasilia after the Bolsonaro assault on Congress and the Supreme Court | International

The night brought some calm to Brasilia after the convulsive Sunday afternoon, in which thousands of radical Bolsonaristas invaded the headquarters of the Congress, the Presidency and the Supreme Court of Brazil. After midnight, the Plaza de los Tres Poderes, where the three attacked buildings are concentrated, was completely armored by the police forces. The blockades began almost two kilometers around, so getting closer to contemplate the destruction was an impossible task. In the gigantic Esplanade of the Ministries, where thousands of Bolsonaristas marched smoothly towards their goal, not a soul was seen and silence reigned. This imposing avenue was also closed, both to vehicles and pedestrians, and the only sign that something serious had happened was the reddish reflection of the lights of the police cars stopped in the access streets to ground zero of the assault. .

Part of the Bolsonaro supporters who for hours invaded the main buildings of the Brazilian State retreated to hotels or their homes and others went on foot to the camp they have maintained in front of the Army headquarters since Bolsonaro was defeated by Lula da Silva at the polls. last October. There was a bit more movement there, small groups in which the events of the day were discussed and the next steps to follow were debated.

Despite the authorities' heavy-handed promises against the coup protesters, the atmosphere was the usual: dozens of tents, banners asking the Armed Forces for "relief" to prevent the "return of communism" to Brazil or some lady praying on your knees for the good of the homeland. The novelty of the day is that, in addition to the usual campers, each one with their sleeping bag and their personal belongings, tonight there were some newcomers who were accommodated as best they could in the open: Bolsonaristas who had participated in the invasion by the late and that they came here because they felt they were in a safe place.

“Here we are in a safe area, in front of the army headquarters, they [los militares] They are not going to betray us”, said a very confident woman in her 60s who did not want to identify herself. Among the Bolsonaristas, there was a whisper about the possibility that at dawn the military police would burst into the camp and order it to be dismantled hastily and violently. “In here we are at least 1,000 people. We are many more than the police. In what prison will they put so many people? Are they going to fill a jail with patriotic Brazilians?” insisted the woman, who boasted that she had been camping for 67 days.

There are already 300 people arrested, according to the civil police. In the camp it was difficult to hide the fear for what could happen to them in the next few hours. Just in case, so as not to be seen, some left the tangle of tents and awnings across the field, avoiding staying on the main access avenue, now blocked and guarded by two very young soldiers. The area where the Bolsonaro camp is located is huge and is surrounded (like almost everything in Brasilia) by extensive meadows dotted with trees. At night it is easy to start walking without leaving a trace. Some complained that in the afternoon there was a helicopter flying overhead for hours, and they boasted that although the police tried to access the compound, the military maneuvered to prevent it.

end of camp

The camp is, in a way, the embryo of what happened on Sunday afternoon. From there, a large part of the demonstrators who stormed the headquarters of the three State powers left on foot, walking calmly eight kilometers in a straight line, escorted by the police. But now, after months of tolerance by local authorities, the hours of the Bolsonaro camp could be counted. Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered that it be dismantled immediately. He determined that the operation will be led by the Military Police of the Federal District, with the support, if necessary, of the National Force and the Federal Police, and in addition, the military commander of the army headquarters must provide all necessary assistance. . "Absolutely nothing justifies the existence of camps full of terrorists, sponsored by various financiers and with the complacency of civil and military authorities," criticized the judge.

Regarding the acts of vandalism, which destroyed offices, furniture, historical objects and works of art from the most important public buildings in the country, these sympathizers of the extreme right already have the narrative ready: "Those who have done this are leftist infiltrators . We are peaceful”, insisted the campers, always refusing to publicly identify themselves.

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