Leadership of Brazilian Spring protests, Cacique Cererê arrested by Federal Police in Brasília

Cacique Cererê Xavante,  chief of the Xavantes tribe and one of the prominent leaders of the Brazilian Spring protests, was arrested this evening, Dec. 12, by the Federal Police by order of Alexandre de Moraes in front of the Alvorada Palace – the residence of the President.

Moraes granted a request from the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGR) and ordered the temporary arrest of the indigenous leader, for an initial ten days, for the alleged practice of unlawful conduct in anti-democratic acts.

“According to the Federal Police (PF), Cererê Xavante would have held demonstrations of anti-democratic nature in several places in Brasilia (DF).”

“Notably in front of the National Congress, at the International Airport of Brasilia, in the shopping center Park Shopping, in the Esplanade of the Ministries, and in front of the hotel where the president and vice president of the Republic are staying,” said the Court, in a statement.

In requesting the temporary arrest, the PGR argued that Serere Xavante “has been using his position as cacique of the Xavante People to regiment indigenous and non-indigenous people to commit crimes, by threatening to assault and persecute President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and STF Justices Alexandre de Moraes and Luís Roberto Barroso,” according to the STF.

“The demonstration, in theory, criminal and anti-democratic, had the clear intention of instigating the population to try, with the use of violence or serious threat, to abolish the democratic rule of law, preventing the inauguration of the elected president and vice president of the Republic,” the PGR recorded.

According to the STF, Moraes pointed out that the conduct of the investigation was coated with an acute degree of gravity and revealed the risks arising from his maintenance of freedom sinceCacique Cererê Xavante expressly called armed people to prevent the certification of the elected.

“The restriction of the freedom of the investigated, with the decree of temporary arrest, is the only measure capable of ensuring the hygiene of the investigation,” said the Justice.

TURMOIL

After the arrest, demonstrators tried to storm the Federal Police building but were dispersed with rubber bullets and stun bombs.

Around 8:30 pm, demonstrators were still there and throwing stones at police vehicles. Agents used tear gas bombs.

Demonstrators depredated cars parked near the building of the Directorate General of the Federal Police in Brasilia.

In addition, the group threw stones and sticks at the corporation’s headquarters. At least two buses were set on fire.