MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula wants exemplary punishments for those involved in Jan. 8 riots

Monday was a day to “celebrate the victory of democracy over authoritarianism,” Lula said

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Monday that pardoning the coup plotters who staged the Jan. 8, 2023, uprising against the headquarters of all three branches of government in Brasilia would sound like impunity, Agencia Brasil reported.

During a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the anti-democratic events, Lula spoke in favor of an exemplary punishment for those who had any part in the acts of January 8 last year. In his speech at the Black Hall of the National Congress, Lula stressed that pardoning these people “would sound like impunity.”

“All those who financed, planned, and executed the coup attempt must be punished exemplarily. There can be no forgiveness for those who attack democracy, their country, and their own people. A pardon would sound like impunity. And impunity, as a safe conduct for new terrorist acts,” Lula underlined.

The event was attended, in addition to Lula, Senate Speaker Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), and Federal Supreme Court (STF) Chief Justice Luís Roberto Barroso, in addition to lawmakers and cabinet members. Rio Grande do Norte Governor Fátima Bezerra spoke on behalf of the country's governors.

Lula also noted that the attempted overthrow of democracy, which is based on disrespect for the results of the elections, would have drastic consequences for the country's political stability.

“If the coup attempt were to succeed, much more than glass, furniture, works of art, and historical objects would have been stolen or destroyed. The sovereign will of the Brazilian people, expressed at the ballot box, would have been stolen. And democracy, destroyed. By now, Brazil would be plunged into economic and social chaos. The fight against hunger and inequality would be back to square one,” he said.

The president also praised the “courage of parliamentarians, governors, ministers of the Supreme Court, ministers of state, legalistic military officers and, above all, the majority of the Brazilian people.” In Lula's view, their courage ensured that Monday was a day to “celebrate the victory of democracy over authoritarianism.”

He also highlighted the Legislative Police workers who refused to join the coup and defended the National Congress building during the storming despite being outnumbered.

Besides the main event in Brasilia, other ceremonies were held nationwide. Trade union centers, including the Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT), have called on their members to participate in activities to “mark one year since the attempted coup orchestrated by allies of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was defeated in the 2022 elections.”

In Brasília, the first demonstrations took place on Sunday (7), organized by left-wing parties and social organizations, including CUT-DF, under the banner of “Act in Defense of Democracy.”

(Source: Agencia Brasil)