Brazil authorities invoke Jan 6 to justify crackdown on opponents
Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) has invoked the Biden regime’s reaction to January 6th to justify the Brazilian government’s own crackdown on its political opponents.
The country has been boiling with civil unrest since October’s presidential election, which many considered rigged in favor of Left-wing ex-convict Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Lula, who served 580 days in federal prison for corruption during his last term as president, beat Right-wing Jair Bolsonaro with 50.7% of the vote, the narrowest margin in the country’s history.
Riots and protests broke out across the country after the results were announced, with demonstrators blocking roads, airports, and even cargo as they demanded election audits and involvement from the Armed Forces.
The indigenous population also came out fiercely against the election results and in favor of Bolsonaro. One indigenous tribal leader, José Acácio Serere Xavante, was arrested Monday by order of Supreme Court Justice and Superior Electoral Court (TSE) President Alexandre de Moraes, who ordered the leader detained for 10 days for "alleged anti-democratic acts.”
According to prosecutors, José Acácio Serere Xavante “attempted to incite people to try to abolish the rule of law and to impede the swearing-in of the president and vice-president elect.”
But officials have refused to provide details about how the tribal leader attempted to impede the rule of law or transition of power.
A protest broke out Monday night outside the police station where José Acácio Serere Xavante was being held. Vehicles were burned and police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, but there were no fatalities.
At an event called “STF in Action” Wednesday, STF Justice Dias Toffoli compared the election protesters to January 6th in the United States.
“Who thought there would be an invasion of the Capitol? . . . 964 people have already been arrested in all 50 states and accused of crimes committed since January 6," said Toffoli. "465 have made agreements pleading guilty with the prosecution. The trial of the leaders who did not make a deal with the prosecutor's office has begun and two convictions for seditious conspiracy have occurred.”
Following that, Moraes vowed more arrests and fines.
"I was happy with Minister Toffoli's speech, because comparing the numbers there are still a lot of people to arrest and a lot of fines to apply", he said.
