GEORGETOWN, Guyana, The 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping has “strongly” condemned “the violent invasion of government buildings that occurred in Brasilia on Sunday as it reaffirmed its commitment to the rule of law.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has vowed to punish supporters of the country’s ex-leader, Jair Bolsonaro, after they stormed Congress, the Supreme Court, and surrounded the presidential palace on Sunday.
Lula said there was “no precedent in the history of our country” for the scenes in Brasilia and called the violence the “acts of vandals and fascists.”
Police regained control of the buildings in the capital Brasilia on Sunday evening after hours of clashes. Police said that 300 people had been arrested.
The city’s governor, Ibaneis Rocha, has been removed from his post for 90 days by the Supreme Court.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes accused him of preventing the riot and being “painfully silent” in the face of the attack. Mr. Rocha has apologized for Sunday’s events.
In a statement late Sunday, CARICOM described those who invaded the buildings as “a misguided mob refusing to accept the results of free and fair democratic elections.
“Those involved should be held to account. We welcome the quick restoration of the order. CARICOM reaffirms its unwavering commitment to democracy and the rule of law,” the regional integration grouping said in its brief statement.
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who is facing a general election on January 18, also condemned the invasion saying, “Mr. Bolsonaro lost the Presidential election, found to be free and fair by observers from international organizations, including the Organization of American States (OAS), and the will of the electorate must be fully respected.
“These attacks on government institutions by groups seeking to overturn the results are assaults on democracy, which the governments and peoples of the Hemisphere will not tolerate.
“The government of Antigua and Barbuda supports democratically-elected President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his government. We will make this position clear at the OAS and the United Nations in the coming days,” Prime Minister Browne added.
Lula, who toured the city to see the damage for himself, has ordered the closure of the center of the capital – including the main avenue where governmental buildings are – for 24 hours.
Justice Minister Flavio Dino said some 40 buses that had been used to transport protesters to the capital had been seized, and he called the invasion an “absurd attempt to impose [the protesters’] will by force.”
Leftist leaders and groups across Brazil are calling pro-democracy rallies.
Bolsonaro has repeatedly refused to accept that he lost October’s election and last week left the country instead of participating in inaugural ceremonies, which would have seen him hand over the iconic presidential sash.
The 67-year-old – believed to be in Florida – condemned the attack and denied responsibility for encouraging the rioters in a post on Twitter some six hours after violence broke out.
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