MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula da Silva has the “impression” that Bolsonaro knew about attacks in Brazil

Lula also insisted that all those who participated “must be condemned” because otherwise “democracy cannot be guaranteed”.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Wednesday that after the coup attempt that took place on January 8 he had the “impression” that former president Jair Bolsonaro “knew about everything”, during an exclusive interview with Globonews news channel.

For the Brazilian president, the fact that the far-right leader has remained silent after his defeat in the presidential elections, that he has gone to Miami and the silence he maintained after the attacks gave him the “impression that he knew everything that was going on”.

“I was left with the impression that it was the beginning of a coup d'état and that they were obeying orders that Bolsonaro had sent some time ago,” the president assured.

“Possibly Bolsonaro was waiting to return to Brazil in the glory of a coup”, he added.

In the interview Lula asked that all those responsible be investigated and pointed out that respect for the principle of presumption of innocence will be preserved during the investigations.

Lula also insisted that all those who participated “must be condemned” because otherwise “democracy cannot be guaranteed”.

On January 8, thousands of pro-Bolsonar radicals attacked the headquarters of Congress, the Supreme Court and the Presidency in an attempt to overthrow Lula's government, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

At least seven investigations have been opened for the vandalism attacks on the three seats of power and more than 1,800 people have been arrested, although a third of them were released on “humanitarian grounds” and can answer at liberty for the process.

Among those under investigation, the court included former president Bolsonaro, for his alleged participation as the intellectual author of the coup attempt, and his last minister of Justice, Anderson Torres, who was in charge of Brasilia's security at the time of the coup attempt, was arrested last Saturday.

Source: EFE