Indigenous people from different tribes protest outside the Brazilian Supreme Court

Dozens of indigenous people from reportedly three different tribes protested this Sunday afternoon outside the Federal Supreme Court (STF).

The demonstrators are calling for the release of José Acácio Cererê Xavante, the Xavante Chief Serere, who was arrested 13 days ago by order of Justice Alexandre de Moraes.

On the occasion, the indigenous defended the permanence of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL, right) in the Planalto Palace and called the election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT, progressive-globalist) a “fraud”.

The Military Police and the Federal Police were called in to contain the demonstrators.

The demonstrators said they would remain in the Plaza of the Three Powers until they received information from Cererê.

They claim they have been prevented from establishing contact with the indigenous person this week.

UNDERSTANDING THE CASE

On Dec. 12, Moraes granted a request from the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) and ordered Cererê’s arrest.

In the decision, the magistrate sustained the “need to guarantee public order, given the evidence of the practice of the crimes of threat, persecution and violent acquittal of the Democratic State of Law.

In examining the request of the PGR, Moraes assesses that the conduct of the indigenous man presents risks to society.

“The restriction of the investigated’s freedom, with the decree of temporary arrest, is the only measure capable of guaranteeing the hygiene of the investigation,” he argued.

According to the Federal Police, Serere participated in “antidemocratic demonstrations” in several places in Brasilia, such as the National Congress, the International Airport of Brasilia, Park Shopping, and the Esplanade of Ministries.

The PGR understands that Serere is using his position as chieftain of the Xavante people to gather activists and inflame demonstrations.

“The demonstration, in theory, criminal and antidemocratic, has the clear intention of instigating the population to try, by using violence or serious threat, to abolish the democratic rule of law, preventing the inauguration of the elected president and vice president of the Republic,” argued the PGR.