Have you ever heard of a coup d’état with no weapons, military, powerful friends in high places, or plan? Neither have we, but there has been one in Brazil, claims the Lula government.
That is why the Brazilian Public Prosecutor’s Office denounced yesterday before the Federal Supreme Court (STF) another 54 investigated for participating in the ‘coup acts’ of Jan. 8 in Brasilia, bringing the total number of those denounced to 98.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office accuses those under investigation of crimes of incitement of the Armed Forces against constitutional powers and criminal association.
For his part, controversial STF Judge Alexandre de Moraes, criticized for his political persecution and relentless censorship of the opposition even by the leftist bible New York Times, opened three new inquiries requested by the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the persons who participated in or financed the events.
To date, the Court has opened seven investigations.
To substantiate the accusations, the Prosecutor’s Office stated that the association between the defendants occurred in the camp installed in front of the Army barracks in Brasília after the results of the October elections.
The prosecutor attached photos to the petitions to prove that there was a structure to ensure the permanence of those investigated for committing crimes against democracy.
“The stability and permanence of the association formed by those who camped in front of the barracks are proven by the perenniality of the camp, which already functioned as a kind of village, with a place for meals, market, transportation, medical care, room for puppet theater, therapeutic massages, loading of electronic devices, reception of donations, meetings, as shown in the pictures,” said prosecutor Carlos Frederico Santos.
About 1,500 people were arrested and transferred to prison after Jan. 8, when thousands of Brazilian Spring protesters invaded and vandalized the National Congress, the Presidential Palace, and the Supreme Court.
The conditions in which the prisoners, ordinary citizens, are held are widely described as inhumane, to which Moraes only scoffed that a prison is not a vacation colony.