Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said to himself “certain”Thursday, February 2, that his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro was the mastermind behind the attack on government buildings in Brasilia in early January. “I say it loud and clear: this citizen prepared the coup d’etat”he said, in a television interview.
“I am sure that Bolsonaro actively participated in this and is still trying to participate in it”, added Lula, when asked about the role of the former president in the events of January 8. Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters then invaded and vandalized the presidential palace, Congress and the Supreme Court.
Jair Bolsonaro is still in the United States
“They wanted to make this mess on January 1 [jour de l’investiture de Lula]but they realized they couldn’t do it because there were too many police and too many people on the streets.”he added.
Jair Bolsonaro, who left Brazil for Florida at the end of December, is part of the Brazilian justice investigation which aims to determine who is behind the ransacking of Brazilian institutions. According to his lawyers, Jair Bolsonaro has applied for an extension of his six-month visa to stay in the United States. He denies having any connection whatsoever with the events of January 8.