Act links pacification and unity of the country to punishment of the guilty

In a common message in the speeches that marked the one-year anniversary of the 8th of January, authorities from the three Powers defended this Monday, the 8th, gestures and efforts for the pacification of Brazilian society. At the same time, they rejected any possibility of “forgiveness”, “appeasement” or “impunity” of those responsible for the coup acts. Convened by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and supported by other presidents of Powers, the Unshakable Democracy act was held at the National Congress.

Claiming health problems in the family, the president of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), did not attend. The event failed to rally opposition leaders in the States. The governors of the largest electoral colleges in the country – São Paulo, Minas and Rio – and 12 other heads of state executives were also not present. The governor of Minas Gerais, Romeu Zema (Novo), even announced his presence, but withdrew hours later under pressure from members of his party.

The opposition classified the event as Lula's political opportunism. Several Centrão leaders in Congress also did not attend. Lula was the only authority to make reference to Jair Bolsonaro, citing him in his speech as the “former coup president”.

In his speech, the president of the Senate and Congress, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), said that “the Powers remain vigilant against traitors to the Fatherland”. He also proposed “a general and mutual commitment” to overcome the “division that torments Brazil”. “This act is not a simple political act, nor an act of force, it is not a merely symbolic act,” he stated. At the end of the speech, the head of the Legislature announced that the bars around Congress will soon be removed to symbolize the population's access to Power.

Priorities

President of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), Minister Alexandre de Moraes said that ignoring the “serious” attack on the rule of law would be equivalent to encouraging extremist groups to commit new criminal acts and coup plots.

“Today is a time to reaffirm to those present that we are a single country, we are a single people and that peace and unity of all Brazilians must be at the center of the priorities of the three Powers and all institutions. But the strengthening of democracy does not allow us to confuse peace and unity with impunity, appeasement or oblivion”, declared Moraes.

Lula, in turn, stated that “there is no forgiveness for anyone who attacks democracy”. According to him, those who financed, planned and executed the coup attempt on January 8, 2023 must be “exemplarily punished”.

“There is no forgiveness for anyone who attacks democracy, their country and their own people. Forgiveness would sound like impunity. And impunity, as a safe conduct for new terrorist acts”, said Lula. The PT member stated that democracy was “saved”, but “it is never ready” and needs to be “built and cared for every day”.

“Democracy is imperfect, because we are human, and therefore imperfect. But we all have a duty to join forces to improve it”, stated the president, and then added that it is necessary to recognize that “democracy for a few is not democracy” and that “there is no full democracy as long as inequalities persist ”.

Minister Luís Roberto Barroso, president of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), stated that he wishes “that all Brazilians – liberals, progressives and conservatives – can unite around the common denominators of the Constitution”. “Hate, lies and scams never again.”

'Delay cycles'

Barroso stated that the attack was not “an isolated event or a mere accident on the way, it was meticulously prepared”. “The day of infamy was preceded by years of attacks on institutions, offenses against their members, dissemination of hatred and lies,” said the minister. “We started to be frowned upon globally, a Brazil that stopped being Brazil.”

Despite this, highlighted the president of the Supreme Court, “institutions won and democracy prevailed”. According to the minister, the reaction of society and institutions showed that “we have already overcome the cycles of delay” and that “there is no longer room for quarters or non-compliance with the rules of the game”.

Barroso said again that what impressed him most was the mix between hatred and religion during the coup acts in the federal capital.

The event at the Congress opened with the National Anthem, sung by the Minister of Culture, Margareth Menezes. Then, a video was shown about the anti-democratic attacks. Present among the authorities at the table, former president José Sarney was praised by Lula for his role in the “consolidation of democracy” in Brazil.

The Attorney General of the Republic, Paulo Gonet, in his speech, said that the price of freedom is “eternal vigilance” and that, for the Federal Public Ministry (MPF), it is “reacting to what was done in the past so that remember that acts against democracy will have criminal consequences”.

Federal Police

Yesterday, the Federal Police launched a new stage of Operation Lesa Pátria to search the addresses of those who financed the events in Brasília. The agents took to the streets to execute 46 search and seizure warrants and a preventive arrest order. Moraes ordered the blocking of assets and valuables of those under investigation worth up to R$40 million.

In the afternoon, the PF released an overview of the results of the operation – 97 suspects who had not been caught in the act have so far been located and arrested. The investigation continues to try to identify everyone involved in the coup acts, from the preparation to the vandalism of public buildings.

The information is from the newspaper The State of S. Paulo.