MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Who financed Sunday's riots in Brasilia?

The main suspects are those in the deforestation and garimpo businesses, but Lula also blamed Bolsonaro

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva told state governors Monday that “they want a coup d'état, but they are not going to get it.” By “they” he meant people from the agribusiness sectors. He also questioned the Armed Forces for their role in Sunday's events.

Earlier Monday, Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre De Moraes had instructed Army troops to clean the “pro-Bolsonaro camps” throughout Brasilia. The magistrate also ordered that the over 1,200 people under arrest be arraigned for terrorism and other crimes.

Lula targeted agribusinessmen for Sunday's assaults on the headquarters of the three branches of government. The sector is largely linked to former President Jair Bolsonaro. Meanwhile, environmentalist groups said those carrying out deforestation and illegal mining in the Amazon were behind the rioting, after Lula's 180-degree turn in environmental policy with the appointment of Ministers Marina Silva and Sônia Guajajara, a world-renowned environmentalist and an aboriginal activist, respectively.

A strong environment minister and the creation of a Ministry of Indigenous people hit a nerve somewhere, analysts argued.

Lula promised in a brief speech Sunday that he will seek to “find out who the financiers of these vandals are.” After blaming Bolsonaro, whom he called “genocidal”, he accused agribusiness and illegal mining mafias of financing this coup movement, which he blamed on Bolsonaro. “That is his responsibility; agribusiness was possibly there too,” Lula said.

The president insisted someone must have financed the food, travel, and lodging of these hundreds of Bolsonaro supporters camped out in Brasilia after the October 30 ballot.