Brazilian General warned Lula about January 8 invasion: ‘People are going to die’

General Gustavo Dutra, who headed the Planalto Military Command on January 8, said he asked President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to postpone the arrests of Brazilian Spring protesters.

“People are going to die,” said the military man. The information was published this Friday, 21, by the magazine Veja.

Lula had ordered, still on the night of January 8, the demobilization of the camp erected near the Army Headquarters in Brasilia. He also ordered that those involved in the demonstration be arrested.

There were hours of tension.

The government members demanded compliance with Lula’s orders, but Dutra insisted it was not a good idea and defended postponing the operation until the following morning.

In a telephone conversation with Dutra, Lula repeated: “They are criminals, General. They all have to be arrested.”

Then the third time, the military man made an observation. “President, we are all indignant. Today is a sad day for Brazil. But, so far, we are only lamenting property damage. If we go in now, without coordination, people will die. Do you want this?”

Lula: “Arrest everyone tomorrow.”

The Chief of the Executive eventually gave in: “It would be a tragedy. General, surround everyone, don’t let anyone leave the square, and arrest everyone tomorrow. The military man thanked him for understanding and wished the president good night.”

The removal of the camp had already been discussed by the Minister of Defense, José Múcio, and by the then Army Commander, General Júlio César de Arruda.

“Nobody moves here,” the General said.

According to Lula’s aides, Arruda acted this way to prevent relatives of military personnel who were there from being arrested. The General was fired by Lula two weeks after the events.

On Wednesday 19th, CNN published images from internal cameras at the Planalto Palace. It is possible to see the then-chief minister of the GSI, Gonçalves Dias, walking around. The scenes resulted in the dismissal of the military officer.”