Brazilian Capitol’: confronting the fascists, without truce or amnesty

The actions of January 8, 2023 mimic those of the US neo-fascist horde two years later, with almost the same script. The invasion of thousands of Bolsonarists into the premises of the National Congress, the Supreme Court (STF), and the Planalto Palace, broadcast live on national TV network, are of the utmost gravity. They crown a coup itinerary, which under the allegation of fraud at the polls, promoted disorder, violence and vandalism.

We had episodes of violence in Brasilia, back in December, when Lula’s diplomacy, followed by the arrest of Bolsonarists with explosives, frustrating a plan of an alleged attack; the camping in front of the military barracks followed – in the Federal District, it was not repressed; and as it was announced, the culminating act was the “assault” on the Three Powers, which after three hours, was reversed, resulting in about 300 people being caught in the act. The mob left a trail of destruction, damaging works of art, destroying rooms and enclosures, a typical action of the Lumpens, as defined by Marx, sectors on the margins, disqualified that can serve as “cannon fodder” for the reactionary elites.

The leniency on the part of the Federal District government was clear to see, not only because of the appointment of the coup-plotter Anderson Torres as the head of Security, but also because of the whole work. The Ibaneis Rocha (MDB) government had a role of omission in the repression of the “crazy” Bolsonar march, which was announced to the four winds, with a hundred buses arriving in Brasilia.

Correctly, by taking control of the situation, Lula took measures such as the federal intervention in the Federal District, spoke nationally denouncing the coup plotters, calling them “fanatical fascists,” and blaming Bolsonaro, whom he referred to as a “genocide,” for the incidents. Lula’s position came at the right moment, since Flávio Dino, Minister of Justice, was slow to take measures, even knowing that the actions of the coup plotters were being announced “in the open”. Besides this, the inertia of José Múcio at the head of the Ministry of Defense was patent, who during the week called the gatherings in front of the headquarters “legitimate”, stating that he had relatives and friends inside the camps – which is inadmissible to fight the extreme right.

The need for a harder speech, like Lula’s, expresses that there is no way to equate the fight against the coup by giving ground to them and their supporters, inside and outside the Armed Forces. Mucio adopted a line of conciliation with the Bolsonarist radicals. This line has failed completely. And to the extent that the Secretary of Communication’s own minister, Paulo Pimenta, states that it is likely that there has been cooperation between those responsible for the security of the Planalto and the Congress, Múcio’s continuance in the post becomes untenable.

In fact, the Armed Forces have also weakened in the eyes of the people, showing themselves to be incapable of defending the interests of the country. This only makes us more aware of the need to make politics about the low and medium ranks of the different security forces in the country. Moraes had more courage and was right to remove Governor Ibaneis Rocha for 90 days.

The international community was consistent in condemning Bolsonarism and the coup plotters. The main countries of the world, including right-wing governments, publicly communicated their repudiation of the coup plotters. The different entities and associations of civil society promptly came out to express their condemnation of what had happened.

The need to take to the streets was answered with a call for this Monday, January 9th, in all capitals of the country. We need to swell the ranks of these acts, expanding and convincing people to take to the streets, in a popular statement of rejection to the coup attitudes, of the defense of the results of the ballot boxes and of the legitimacy of Lula’s government.

This is done by relying on the strength of the streets, with the popular organization, with the need to massify the acts and prepare their organization, with their methods, self-defense and democratic spaces to mobilize and convene the calendar of struggles and actions. The street actions must have a democratic and broad character, as a unity of action with all democratic sectors.

And this opens a new chapter in the fight against Bolsonarism, in the scope of the mass movement, in which we need to dispute among those who voted for Bolsonaro.

Beyond the immediate response, it is necessary to go further and take action to unravel the coup agents, put them behind bars and begin to nip the evil in the bud, taking advantage of the enormous repudiation in all layers of Brazilian society and even in the international community. This means deepening the breaking of the secrecy of those involved and the arrest of the financiers and others involved.

Measures must be taken immediately. Arrest the Bolsonarist leaders, revoke the parliamentarians who collaborated, as well as advance investigations into figures like Carla Zambelli and Allan dos Santos, and the local leaders of the caravans, who have already begun to be identified.

We join deputy Alejandra Ocasio-Cortez in her request to extradite Bolsonaro. This would be the first step towards his arrest, a fundamental task that the PSOL already requested last week. Arresting Bolsonaro is a necessary step, as an axis of agitation. We have also defended a CPI (Parliamentary Investigation Commission), in the Federal District and in the Federal Chamber, to broaden the investigations, combined with the definitive impeachment of Ibaneis.

We continue calling for international solidarity and organizing disputes in the streets, with our parliamentarians, evoking the anti-fascist struggle. Today we will take to the street demonstrations the flag that there will be no forgiveness for the genocidaires and coup-plotters. Without amnesty and with the maximum democratic mobilization.