Riots in the government district
Half of Brazilians blame Bolsonaro
Thousands of Jair Bolsonaro supporters stormed the government district in the Brazilian capital Brasília on Sunday. The rioters left a trail of destruction in their wake. Around half of Brazilians blame the ex-president for the riots.
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A week after the end of the term of office of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, radical supporters of the right-wing ex-military stormed the government district in the capital Brasília on Sunday.
A good half of Brazilians blame ex-president Jair Bolsonaro for the attack by radical demonstrators on the government district in Brasília.
In a survey by the polling institute Datafolha published on Thursday, 55 percent of those questioned said the right-wing ex-head of state was behind his supporters’ storming of Congress, the government session and the Supreme Court. 39 percent of those surveyed said Bolsonaro was not responsible.
State of emergency in Brazil: Here demonstrators drag a police officer from his horse(00:37)
Has Bolsonaro goaded his supporters?
Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the government district in Brasília on Sunday. They briefly seized the control centers of the country’s most important state authorities, rioted in offices and boardrooms and left a trail of destruction in their wake. It took hours for the security forces to bring the situation back under control.
Bolsonaro lost the runoff election to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva last October. However, he repeatedly cast doubt on the electoral system and never explicitly admitted his defeat. His radical supporters then blocked roads and called on the armed forces to stage a military coup.
Two days before the end of his term of office on New Year’s Day, the ex-military traveled to the USA with his family. Lula accused his predecessor of inciting his followers. The former president denied the allegations. (SDA)