São Paulo, Brazil – Brazil’s government held a solemn ceremony on Wednesday to remember the second anniversary of the violent January 8, 2023 attacks on the National Congress, the Presidential Palace, and the Supreme Federal Court in the nation’s capital.
Led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the event aimed to underscore a renewed commitment to democracy. However, the gathering faced criticism from political opponents and was largely attended by members of Lula’s Workers’ Party and his administration, including cabinet ministers.
Notably absent were the heads of Brazil’s legislative bodies — Arthur Lira, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, and Rodrigo Pacheco, President of the Senate.
(Ricardo Stuckert / Presidency of Brazil courtesy)
Supreme Court Chief Justice Luís Roberto Barroso also did not attend. The court was instead represented by Justices Edson Fachin, Cármen Lúcia, Gilmar Mendes, Cristiano Zanin, and Alexandre de Moraes, who has been leading investigations into the January 8 attacks. Military commanders, who report to the president, were present at the event.
(Marcelo Camargo/Agencia Brasil courtesy)
“Today, we say loud and clear: we are still here. We are here to affirm that we are alive, and democracy is alive, contrary to the hopes of the coup plotters of January 8, 2023,” Lula declared in his opening remarks.
The attacks, carried out by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro dissatisfied with Lula’s October 2022 election victory, caused extensive destruction in Brasília. Protesters, many of whom had been camped outside military barracks across the country, converged on the capital on January 8, unleashing chaos upon the symbols of Brazil’s democratic institutions. While the assault tested the resilience of the nation, it ultimately failed to undermine the foundations of Brazilian democracy.
To date, more than 2,000 individuals are under investigation for their roles in the attacks. The Supreme Court has already convicted 371 people, with sentences ranging from three to 17 years in prison. Most convictions have been classified as severe, involving crimes such as attempting to abolish the democratic rule of law, staging a coup, criminal damage, conspiracy, and the destruction of public property.
(photo: Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil)
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