George Washington de Oliveira Sousa had planted an explosive device in a tank truck near Brasilia airport. He hoped to provoke “the intervention of the armed forces”.
Brazilian police have arrested a supporter of incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro who attempted to use explosives to create the “chaos“, a week before the inauguration of the elected president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, reported Sunday, December 25 the local press. The man, identified as George Washington de Oliveira Sousa, was arrested on Saturday. He had planted an explosive device in a tank truck near Brasilia airport. Lula’s inauguration ceremony is due to take place in the Brazilian capital on January 1.
His aim, according to his statements to the police published by the local press, was to “trigger chaos” and “the intervention of the armed forces” for'”prevent the establishment of communism in Brazil“. It was the truck driver who alerted the police after finding the explosive device on Saturday morning.
“Provoke the intervention of the armed forces”
Although there was an attempt to activate it, the device did not explode, Robson Candido, a senior Brasilia police official, said at a press conference, quoted by the site. information G1. “The serious events that took place yesterday in Brasilia prove that the camps of the so-called ”patriots” have become incubators for terrorists“, tweeted Flavio Dino, appointed Minister of Justice in the next government of Lula.
The arrested person clarified that the plan was designed with other Bolsonarians who demonstrated for days after the announcement of the defeat of the outgoing president in front of the army headquarters in Brasilia. The idea was to place at least two explosive devices at strategic locations, with the aim of achieving “declaration of a state of siege in the country» and, from there, «provoke the intervention of the armed forcesOliveira Sousa told police, according to the newspaper. Folha de S. Paulo.
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Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro blocked roads and demonstrated outside barracks across the country after Lula’s narrow victory in the Oct. 30 ballot with 50.9% of the vote to 49.1%. Months later, there are still pro-Bolsonaro demonstrations outside some army barracks. The police found a large quantity of weapons in the apartment where Oliveira Sousa, an employee of a Para service station, lived.
‘Inspired’ by Bolsonaro’s words
He said to himself “inspired by the words of President Bolsonaroto acquire the weapons, with an estimated value of 160,000 reais (about 29,000 euros), details Folha de S. Paulo. Jair Bolsonaro has claimed in public statements that “an armed people will never be enslaved“. According to his confession, the detainee planned to distribute the weapons to people camping in front of the barracks.
Lula, 77, president of Brazil between 2003 and 2010, will take power for the third time, during an imposing ceremony organized in the capital.
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