Alexandre Padilha Decries Far-Right Assault as ‘Terrorist Act’ and Highlights Lula’s Swift Response

Brazil’s recent coup attempt was a well-organized insurrection aimed at toppling the newly-elected government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, according to the country’s Minister of Institutional Relations, Alexandre Padilha. Speaking from the presidential palace in Brasília on January 10, 2023, Padilha described the far-right assault on the country’s three main government branches as an “act of terrorism” orchestrated by supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro. The attempt to overthrow the government was narrowly foiled, thanks to Lula’s quick and resolute intervention, Padilha said.

On January 8, thousands of radical Bolsonaro supporters stormed the Presidential Palace, Congress, and the Supreme Court, vandalizing key government buildings and attempting to seize power. However, Padilha credited Lula’s decision to order a federal intervention, placing his administration in charge of security in the capital, Brasília, as the crucial move that stopped the insurrection from succeeding. The federal intervention followed the failure of local security forces, led by the pro-Bolsonaro governor Ibaneis Rocha, to prevent the chaos.

Rocha was subsequently suspended from his post, and Brasília’s public security chief, Anderson Torres, who was previously Bolsonaro’s justice minister, was arrested by a Supreme Court judge late on January 10. Torres, who had claimed to be on holiday in Florida at the time of the invasion, was removed from office after the security breakdown. Padilha emphasized that had the local government followed agreed-upon security protocols with federal authorities, the attack would likely have been avoided.

The minister also credited Lula’s leadership and the unity demonstrated by Brazil’s democratic institutions in the aftermath of the insurrection. On Monday night, political leaders from all sides—including the heads of Brazil’s Supreme Court, lower house of Congress, and regional governors—gathered outside the Presidential Palace in a powerful show of solidarity for Lula and Brazilian democracy.

Padilha pointed to the well-organized nature of the attack, noting that intelligence suggested reinforcements were being bused into Brasília from three states—São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Goiás—to strengthen the coup effort. While there is no evidence linking Bolsonaro directly to the events, Padilha linked the violence to the former president’s years of undermining Brazil’s democratic institutions, especially his attacks on the judiciary and opposition.

The minister also suggested that the insurrectionists may have believed their actions would spark support from security forces or members of the military, potentially leading to the collapse of Brazil’s government and the establishment of a parallel power structure. Padilha attributed much of the violence to the hate-fueled atmosphere cultivated by Bolsonaro during his tenure, accusing him of fostering division and discord, particularly against the political left and the Supreme Court.

Though the immediate threat has been contained, the attempt to overthrow Brazil’s government marks a pivotal moment in the nation’s ongoing struggle for democratic stability, one that could have had far-reaching consequences had it not been for Lula’s decisive response.