Who is Diego Ventura, alleged leader of coup attacks in the DF arrested by the PF

The Federal Police (PF) arrested, this Thursday (20), in Campos dos Goytacazes, in Rio de Janeiro, businessman Diego Ventura, appointed as one of the leaders of the invasion of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), in the anti-democratic acts of January 8, in Brasília.

Ventura was arrested in yet another stage of Operation Lesa Pátria, which investigates attacks on the buildings of the Three Powers. He was on his way to the 3rd National Assembly of the Brazilian Right.

Considered one of the leaders of anti-democratic acts in Brasília, the merchant had already been arrested by the Military Police of the Federal District (PMDF) on Christmas Eve last year. He and nine other people were arrested on the way to the Supreme Court, with slingshots, marbles, knives, as well as radio transmitters. All were arrested and taken to the 5th Police Station, in Asa Norte, and later released.

At the time, Ventura and the other detainees told the military that they would participate in a demonstration in front of the Army Headquarters against the arrest of chief José Acácio Serere Xavante, detained for anti-democratic acts.

The indigenous man was arrested on suspicion of the crimes of threat, persecution and violent abolition of the democratic rule of law. The arrest warrant maintained, at the time, that Serere Xavante uses his position as an indigenous leader to enlist people to “commit crimes by threatening aggression and persecution of the president-elect [Lula] and the ministers of the STF Alexandre de Moraes and Luís Roberto Barroso”.

Ventura appears in images, on January 8, kicking the STF’s containment bars and, later, already inside the Supreme Court building, celebrating what he called “mission accomplished”. The merchant appears alongside Ana Priscilla Azevedo, one of the organizers of the camp set up in front of the Army Headquarters, in Brasília, and a group of extremists on Telegram.

O Estadão identified the participation of 88 people in the invasions and depredations of public spaces. The call for action already had an established coup purpose. “We are going to collapse the system, we are going to besiege Brasília, we are going to take power by storm, the power that belongs to us”, said Ana Priscilla, in a live held on January 5, at the camp in the federal capital.

Shortly before being arrested on Christmas Eve, Ventura broadcast the group’s walk in the vicinity of the STF.

“Today, the 25th of December, we are here straight from Praça dos Três Poderes. A few patriots along the way. We are next to the STF building, where the Indians invaded the STF in the last few hours. The area is completely fenced. Let’s try to get as close as possible. Policing is intense. Tense moment”

says Ventura in the recording.

Ventura presented himself as one of the leaders of the Abrapa 01 group, which was camped in front of the Army HQ. In videos and posts on social networks, the trader called for more supporters to join the camp and collected donations for the maintenance of the structure set up in Brasília.

“You who are raising this flag of our good, right-wing, patriotic people, who love and care for God, Homeland, family, freedom and democracy, you have every right to decide to stay at home, do nothing and discredit. Only cowards give up a war, a struggle, a battle and facing what, in some way, oppresses you, stops you, immobilizes you, immobilizes you and takes away your rights. The people showed that they are not only capable of raising a flag”

he stated.

“Fighting for what we believe in, what we believe is our right, is the most honorable thing we patriots can do.”

On social media, the merchant campaigned for former Minister Eduardo Pazuello (Health) for federal deputy and for Ailton Barros, arrested by the Federal Police accused of intermediating the insertion of data in the Covid vaccination card of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL). A retired captain, Ailton has already been investigated for an alleged deal with drug trafficking and was expelled from the Army after disciplinary punishments. “This is the president’s candidate, 38 years of friendship, will be his eye in Rio”, wrote Ventura in a post during last year’s election campaign.

CNN sought contact with Ventura’s defense, but had no response so far.

Beneficiaries of emergency aid, Brazil Aid and Bolsa Família

The merchant was one of the beneficiaries of emergency aid during the covid-19 pandemic. In 2020, he received nine installments of the aid, which corresponds to R$ 3,632 in public money. He received five transfers of R$600 and four of R$158.

Ventura’s wife also benefited from emergency aid, Auxílio Brasil and Bolsa Família. In all, the merchant’s family received R$35,100 in transfers from the federal government.

*With information from CNN Brazil

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