Lula says that coup comes from disbelief in politics and praises the courage of the STF – 02/01/2023 – Politics

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) said this Wednesday (1st) that the coup escalation in the country, which culminated with the attacks on the headquarters of the three Powers on January 8, is the result of disbelief in politics.

The statement was given during the opening ceremony of the Judiciary year at the STF (Federal Supreme Court).

In his speech, the petista also praised the court ministers, spoke of courageous decisions and the restoration of harmony between the Powers, in a veiled reference to his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

“Never again should anyone dare to doubt the policy of this country or discredit politics. What happened in this country was the result of disbelief in politics by the Brazilian people”, said Lula, in the final stretch of his speech.

“Everywhere, what we have to be aware of is that you may not like the National Congress, but it is the result of the amount of information and humor on voting day.”

“Therefore, we have to respect and only change four years later, when there is a next election, so that we will definitely sustain the longest-lasting democracy that we managed to conquer in the federative republic of Brazil”, he added.

The court resumes its activities after the destruction of its main building by coup plotters who support former President Bolsonaro. On January 8, the headquarters of the three Powers were invaded and vandalized, which generated a strong reaction from institutions in defense of democracy.

Shortly before his speech, the president of the court, minister Rosa Weber, made a speech criticizing the coup attacks, said that those responsible for the violence will be held accountable and reinforced that democracy remains unshakable.

“Those who conceived it [a violência do dia 8 de janeiro]practiced, inspired it and those who funded it will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said the minister.

Lula’s gesture to the Judiciary also comes after four years of strained relations between the Powers, especially the Executive and the STF. During his term, Bolsonaro encouraged a coup, cursed ministers and threatened to disregard court decisions.

The PT’s predecessor only attended the opening of the judicial year, at the Court, in 2021. In his first year in office, he was recovering from surgery. In the others, he chose not to go.

Last year, the then president of the court, Luiz Fux, made a speech with messages to the chief executive and said that, in an election year, “there is no more space for actions against the democratic regime and for violence against public institutions”.

As usual, Bolsonaro was invited to the ceremony, which took place via videoconference, but he did not participate.

The president, his family members and allies were also the target of open inquiries in court, mostly reported by Minister Alexandre de Moraes — the preferred target of attacks by Bolsonaristas.

The four-year escalation of the coup led to disrespect for the election results, announced several times by the president himself, and culminated in attacks on institutions on January 8.

The reaction of the Powers, however, was incisive. The day after the attacks, the president invited governors and ministers of the Supreme Court to a meeting in which they made emphatic defenses of the democratic rule of law.

The speeches were broadcast on TV Brasil. Lula said that the demonstrators did not have an agenda of demands and that they only wanted a “coup and there will be no coup”. After the meeting, Lula and the authorities walked through the Três Poderes square to the destroyed STF facilities.

“What we saw yesterday was something that had already been foreseen. This had been announced some time ago because people who were on the streets in front of barracks did not have a claim agenda”, said the president, at the opening of a meeting with state governors and heads of Powers.

He added: “They want a coup, and there won’t be a coup. They have to learn that democracy is the most complicated thing for us to do, because it requires us to support others, it requires living with people we don’t like.”

At the meeting, the president of the STF, Rosa Weber, said that the court was “hardly attacked” and thanked for the union “around the Brazil that we all want, which is a Brazil of peace, a fraternal Brazil”.

“Actually, I’m here on behalf of the STF, thanking the governors for their initiative in witnessing the national unity of a Brazil that we all want in the sense of defending our democracy and the democratic rule of law”, he said.

The magistrate also reported on the situation at the courthouse.

“Our historic building inside was practically destroyed, especially our plenary. This symbology saddened me enormously, but I want to assure everyone that we will rebuild it and that on February 1st we will start the year Judiciary as required: independent Judiciary and the STF as guardian of our Constitution.”

The STF returns to its work this Wednesday with the main building still under renovation. The plenary, where the trials take place, has been restored. However, other sectors of the main building, which was destroyed, will still be under renovation throughout the semester.

After the invasion of the main building, security focused on protecting the basement of the Supreme Court and the annexed buildings, where the offices of ministers and other administrative sectors are located. Eight people were arrested red-handed on the occasion – one of them dressed in one of the ministers’ togas.