Brazil could ask for extradition of former Bolsonaro minister
Justice Minister Flávio Dino said on Friday that the Brazilian government will request the U.S. for the extradition of his predecessor Anderson Torres, should he not fulfill his promise of turning himself in.
“The Federal Police will take the [extradition] measures on Monday if he does not spontaneously turn himself in as announced,” Mr. Dino told a press conference.
Mr. Torres served as Jair Bolsonaro’s justice minister during the second half of his term. On January 2, he took office as the security secretary of the Brasília state government, and traveled to the U.S. a few days later. While the Sunday riots unfolded, Mr. Torres was still in Florida on vacation.
The Supreme Court ordered his arrest on Tuesday, due to his negligence in handling the riots. Deputy Justice Minister Ricardo Cappelli, appointed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to lead a federal intervention in Brasília, said on Wednesday that there was a “lack of command” from security forces on Sunday, and directly blamed Mr. Torres.
The arrest warrant was issued before newspaper Folha de S.Paulo revealed that the Federal Police had found a draft decree in Mr. Torres’ home that would presumably be used to place Brazil under a state of emergency with the goal of overturning the outcome of the 2022 presidential election.
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