Brazil President Lula visits Planalto Palace & Supreme Court as UK PM Sunak condemns riots

Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Sunday he was at the Planalto Presidential Palace and the Supreme Federal Court in Brasilia after supporters of his political rival Jair Bolsonaro stormed government buildings and did extensive damage to the infrastructure. Leaders around the globe including PM Narendra Modi, United Kingdom PM Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden condemned the news of unrest in support of the Lula government.

"The coup plotters who promoted the destruction of public property in Brasilia are being identified and will be punished," Lula da Silva posted on Twitter. "Tomorrow we resume work at the Planalto Palace. Always Democracy. Goodnight." Earlier, Lula described events in the capital as “barbaric” and said “a lack of security” had allowed Bolsonaro’s “fascist” supporters to breach barriers set up by the Armed Forces outside the three branches of government “These people are everything that is abominable in politics,” he told a news conference. At least 400 people have been arrested in connection to the unrest, as per CNN.

In what can only be called a horrific re-enactment of the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots in Washington DC, USA, Sunday saw thousands of pro-Bolsonaro demonstrators in Brasilia bypass security barricades, climb on roofs, smash windows and invade all three buildings - the Congress, Supreme Court and Presidential Palace, which were believed to be largely vacant on the weekend. Some of the demonstrators called for a military intervention to either restore the far-right Bolsonaro to power or oust Lula from the presidency. Following this, at least 400 people have been arrested for storming key government buildings in the national capital. Former President Bolsonaro has denounced the "depredations and invasions of public buildings" in Brasília after his support created havoc.

UK PM Sunak condemns unrest

"I condemn any attempt to undermine the peaceful transfer of power and the democratic will of the people of Brazil. President Lula and his government has the United Kingdom’s full support, and I look forward to building on our countries’ close ties in the years ahead," said UK PM Rishi Sunak on Twitter.

US President Joe Biden also condemned the violence in Brazil which erupted in the South American country after former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro's supporters stormed Congress (the country's legislature), the Supreme Court and the Presidential Palace on Sunday. The US President called the violence an "assault on democracy". "I condemn the assault on democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil. Brazil’s democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined," President Joe Biden tweeted, adding that he is looking forward to continuing to work with Brazil's current President Lula da Silva.