When Jair Bolsonaro was elected president of Brazil, being sworn in on January 1, 2019, he repeated his campaign motto in his inaugural speech from outside the Planalto Palace: “Brazil above everything, God above everyone.” Four years later, that same Planalto Palace was trashed by his own supporters, in an unprecedented example of public disorder.
Instead of being “above everything,” Brazil — or at least the buildings that represent its democracy — was left under piles of debris, broken glass, blood, urine, and feces. Thousands of rioters were arrested and authorities accused of turning a blind eye to the invasion are being held accountable.
The world looked on open-mouthed as the furious group of rioters entered the presidential palace, the Supreme Court, and the Congress building. The comparisons with the January 6 Capitol attacks in the U.S. were impossible to ignore.
The attacks on Brazil’s democracy were both symbolic and literal. Many important symbols, such as a copy of the 1988 Constitution, green and yellow flags, priceless colonial artifacts, and even the chair of Supreme Court justices, were all destroyed by Bolsonaro-supporting rioters, amid shouts for a military coup.
The three branches of government — directly targeted by Sunday’s attacks — have shown a broad front to condemn the riots and punish those responsible.
What happened in Brasília was a disaster. And now it’s time for the country to pick up the pieces.
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