Opinion: the political pacification of Brazil involves the arrest of the coup leaders

By Guilherme Macalossi

(Opinion) January 8, 2023 goes down in the history of Brazil as a date that will live in infamy. The terms are known. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt wore them during the surprise Japanese attack on the American base at Pearl Harbor in 1941, during World War II.

They also serve perfectly to qualify the coup acts that took place in Brasília. The devastation promoted by Bolsonarists is a serious episode in our republican life, even more so because of its revolutionary nature. They wanted chaos to motivate the deposition of the three constituted powers. The difference is that, in this case, there is no surprise with what happened.

Here and elsewhere, I have always been among those who argue that there is an objective dividing line between what is free speech and what is a crime.

The mobilization of camps in front of barracks with the aim of resorting to the military to prevent the democratically elected government from taking office was never more than incitement, which is typified in the Penal Code. Article 286 is explicit: “Art. 286 – Publicly inciting the commission of a crime: Penalty – detention, from three to six months, or a fine. Single paragraph. The same penalty applies to anyone who publicly incites animosity between the Armed Forces, or between them and against constitutional powers, civil institutions or society”.

A movement of this size has ramified sources of funding and leadership. These are in the shadows, plotting against democracy. They must be brought to light and to Justice.

Even though we are dealing with a crime punishable by imprisonment, the rupture movement was allowed to escalate, with the approval of authorities throughout the country, starting with the Planalto Palace, which observed everything without hiding its contentment. The scenes of depraved destruction in the STF, Congress and Executive buildings are the culmination of a set of reiterated criminal practices that have taken place since Lula da Silva’s victory.

On the day of his graduation, extremists tried to invade the headquarters of the Federal Police and set fire to cars and buses circulating in the city. On Christmas Eve, even a terrorist attack was plotted. The idea was to blow up a tank truck on the outskirts of the Juscelino Kubitschek airport.

What was expected? That these elements preaching AI-5, State of Siege, or whatever you want to call it, would be forever restricted to the field of theory? Who would be content to strike the blow without ever taking effective action? Mere dilettantes of chaos? The march on Brasilia would never have happened if preventive actions had been taken in a timely manner, before the first tent was set up. Yes, I am referring to those camps, which the incompetent Minister of Defense José Múcio even described as “manifestations of democracy”.

Once the crime is consummated, it is now necessary to carry out the proper investigation to identify and punish those responsible. And it is important to note the following: the guy who defecated in the chair of a STF minister or others who stabbed works of art are just part of the front squad of a larger set of agents. They are, to use Marxist parlance, a kind of interventionist lumpen.

And, obviously, a movement of this size has ramified sources of funding and leadership. These are in the shadows, plotting against democracy. They must be brought to light and to Justice. This will only be achieved with the cooperation of security agencies and a concerted effort by institutions to contain the anger of its enemies. Brazil needs to find political pacification and social peace, and they go through the arrest of all coup plotters.

With information from Gazeta do Povo