UPDATE: For background on the newly elected President Lula, please see Who Is Brazil's New President?
On January 8, thousands of Brazilians invaded their capital. They stormed the Supreme Court, president’s palace, and Congress in Brasilia. They overtook buildings, damaged furniture, smashed windows, and destroyed artwork. The protesters object to former President Jair Bolsonaro’s election defeat.
Some Bolsonaro supporters have camped outside a military headquarters in Brasilia since Bolsonaro lost the October 30 election. Others traveled to Brasilia on buses for the weekend. They reject the race results.
Protesters wanted to oust new President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Many demonstrators claim he is a thief who will lead the country into communism. Their goal is to restore Bolsonaro to power.
Throughout his presidency, Bolsonaro quarreled with Supreme Court justices. He blamed them for opening investigations against him and his allies. He often singled out the justice who oversaw the election. He even threatened to disobey that justice’s future rulings.
Bolsonaro also expressed doubt about Brazil’s electronic voting machines. He insists voting machines should feature a printed receipt. Receipts would enable checks for fraud.
The Brazil Congress’ Lower House voted down Bolsonaro’s proposal for that change in 2021. The ruling authorities say the results can already be verified. Security experts consider electronic voting less secure than hand-marked paper ballots. But Brazil’s system is said to be closely watched. National authorities and international observers have admitted to no evidence of fraud.
After the election, Bolsonaro and his party asked the electoral authority to throw out millions of votes cast on certain voting machines. Those machines featured a software bug. But experts say that the bug does not change the machines’ reliability.
The electoral official swiftly dismissed the request. He also fined Bolsonaro’s party for a “bad-faith” (misleading) effort.
After his loss, Bolsonaro would not admit defeat. He largely vanished from public view. However, he told his followers that they had the power in their hands. He said that he controlled the armed forces. Supporters hoped that Bolsonaro or the military would overturn the results.
Bolsonaro flew to Florida two days before Lula’s January 1 inauguration. At that time, the outgoing president traditionally gives the presidential sash to his successor. Instead, Bolsonaro took up temporary residence outside Orlando.
The defeated Brazilian president hasn’t stated why he left. But people speculate. Some call Bolsonaro’s departure an attempt to escape possible prosecution and shirk responsibility for his supporters’ actions. His trip may also be a way to avoid blame from backers for not mobilizing the armed forces. Or perhaps he simply wants his absence to speak of his disagreement with the outcome of the election.
We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. — 2 Corinthians 5:10
(Supporters of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro storm the National Congress building in Brasilia, Brazil, on January 8, 2023. AP/Eraldo Peres)
