By Ricardo Brito
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will assume the Presidency of the Republic for the third time this Sunday with an unprecedented security scheme amid tension in the country’s capital after episodes of vandalism and even an aborted attempt to explode a bomb in the Brasilia airport.
Even before taking office, the president-elect has already advanced some bilateral meetings on Saturday with foreign delegations who came to honor his inauguration.
Lula met on Saturday with representatives of Russia and Ukraine and asked for an end to the war between the two countries. On Twitter, the PT said that he had separate meetings with the President of the Council of the Russian Federation, Valentina Matvienko, and with the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko.
Lula also met the president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Several foreign authorities are expected to participate in Lula’s inauguration this Sunday, including 19 heads of state.
FORMAL SESSION
The day’s official itinerary begins shortly after 2 pm with the arrival of Lula and vice-president-elect Geraldo Alckmin at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Brasília, and then the two will parade in a car along the Esplanada dos Ministérios to the National Congress. It has not yet been defined whether the president will parade in an open or closed car.
The forecast is that the two arrive at Congress around 2:40 pm, for a solemn inauguration session scheduled to start at 3 pm. The script foresees the execution of the national anthem, provision of the constitutional commitment, reading and signing of the inauguration of the president and vice president and pronouncements.
The departure of Lula and Bolsonaro from Congress, which takes place under military honors, should take place shortly after 4 pm. Then they arrive at the Planalto Palace, where they will go up the ramp, and then Lula will receive the presidential sash.
With the trip on Friday of the then president Jair Bolsonaro to the United States, it is not clear how the sash will be passed to the PT.
Lula will then make a speech at the Parlatório do Planalto.
According to the authorities involved, up to 30,000 people will be able to watch Lula’s speech at Praça dos Três Poderes.
Around 6 pm, the president and authorities of the new government will go to the Itamaraty Palace, where there will be a reception for foreign guests.
SAFETY
The security forces of the federal government and the Federal District set up a strong scheme, with blockades for inspection of people and even with plainclothes police among those present.
The number of police officers and other members of the public security forces in the inauguration day operation has not been officially revealed, but all servers will be ready to be activated.
“We will have 100% staff on standby, which can be used in case of need”, said the Public Security Secretary of the Federal District, Júlio Danilo, in an interview on Thursday regarding the preparations for the inauguration.
According to a security document accessed by Reuters, around 4,600 people from the Armed Forces will be involved in the operation, along with 3,300 security people from the Federal District government, 900 from the Institutional Security Office, 500 from the Police Federal, 180 from the Federal Highway Police, 80 from the National Security Force, 80 from Congressional security and the Federal Supreme Court.
There will also be snipers on top of buildings and around 150 drones will be used. Brasilia’s airspace would be closed from 8 am.
Entry with tin and glass bottles, flag poles and other objects that could cause injury to other people will not be allowed on the lawn of the Esplanada dos Ministérios. The public can bring food, but it should preferably be packed in plastic bags because they can be inspected.
Lula’s allies hope that the latest events in Brasília, such as suspected bombs and acts of vandalism that led to the arrests of those involved, will not impact the attendance of Lula’s supporters at the festivities – 300,000 people are expected to attend.
POPULAR PARTY
In addition to the official inauguration acts, Sunday will also be full of attractions for the public that goes to the Esplanada dos Ministérios.
In the morning, the programming of the Festival of the Future begins, popularly known as “Lulapalooza”. There will be a break around 1 pm, and the program will resume in the early evening. More than 60 artists are expected to perform on two stages alternately, “Gal Costa” and “Elza Soares”, in honor of the two singers who died in 2022.
There is an expectation from Lula’s assistants that he attend the popular party at night.
(Additional reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Editing by Lisandra Paraguassu)
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