Brazil – Brasilia-March 9, 2023

A week after the inauguration of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as president

of the country, hundreds of supporters of the right-wing former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the headquarters of the Congress, the Supreme Court and the Planalto Presidential Palace in Brasilia

After the incident, Brazilian President Lula da Silva condemned the storming by" fascist saboteurs " of the Congress, the Supreme Court and the Planalto Presidential Palace. "We will find them all and they will all be punished," Lula said, stressing that "democracy guarantees freedom of expression, but it also requires respect for institutions".

"What these vandals, these fanatical fascists have done is unprecedented in the history of our country. Those who financed these protests will pay for these irresponsible and undemocratic actions, " he said.

For his part, the minister of justice and Public Security Flavio Dino said that "this absurd attempt to impose a will by force will not prevail".

In the same context, some countries condemned the incident, with US President Joe Biden calling the attack by Bolsonaro supporters "outrageous".

Biden wrote: "I condemn the attack on democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil. Brazil's democratic institutions have our full support, and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined. I look forward to continuing to work with Lula".

His foreign minister Antony Blinken wrote on Twitter that "the use of violence to attack democratic institutions has always been unacceptable".

In turn, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan wrote: "the United States condemns any attempt to undermine democracy in Brazil".

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador also expressed his support for Lula. "The coup attempt in Brazil is reprehensible and undemocratic,"he wrote on Twitter. "Lula is not alone, he has the support of the progressive forces of his country, Mexico, the Americas and the world,"he added.

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez also expressed his"unconditional support and the support of the Argentine people for Lula in the face of this coup attempt".

Chilean President Gabriel boric said on Twitter that"the Brazilian government has our full support in the face of this cowardly and vile attack on democracy". For its part, the Chilean government called for a special meeting of the Permanent Council of the organization of American States.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel expressed solidarity and condemned what he described as anti-democratic actions aimed at "fomenting chaos and disrespect for the popular will".

Bolivian foreign minister Rogelio Maita said the events in Brazil showed that Latin America faces the challenge of "defending our democracies by preventing the triumph of hate speech".

OAS Secretary-General Luis Almagro condemned "the assault on institutions in Brasilia, which constitutes an unacceptable act and a direct assault on democracy". "These acts are inexcusable and are inherently fascist,"he wrote.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro also condemned the "neo-fascist groups" seeking to overthrow Lula.

At the same time, Canada strongly condemned the Storming of Bolsonaro's supporters at the headquarters of power in Brasilia, stressing its "support for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and democratic institutions in Brazil".

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a tweet that "respect for the democratic right of people is extremely important in any democracy, including in Brazil".

The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, expressed his "absolute condemnation" of the Storming of the Congress, the presidency and the Supreme Court by hundreds of Bolsonaro supporters. "Full support for President Lula da Silva, who was democratically elected by millions of Brazilians after fair and free elections,"he wrote on Twitter.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell expressed the same support, saying he was"stunned" by the actions of "violent extremists". "Brazilian democracy will prevail over violence and extremism,"he wrote.

In turn, the president of the European Parliament Roberta mitsula said that she was "very worried". "Democracy must always be respected," she wrote on Twitter, adding that the European Parliament stands "on the side of Lula and all legitimate and democratically elected institutions".

In France, President Emmanuel Macron called for" respect for democratic institutions "in Brazil, stressing France's" unwavering support " for President Lula.

In turn, the French Foreign Ministry said that Paris condemns in the" strongest terms " the acts of violence against democratic institutions in Brazil.

For his part, the former presidential candidate, the radical leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon, accused the Brazilian "extreme right" via Twitter of"attempting a coup against the new leftist President Lula, similar to what Trump did".

In Italy, prime minister Giorgia Meloni said on Twitter that the attack in Brazil "cannot leave us indifferent". The leader added that such an attack on government headquarters was "unacceptable and incompatible with any form of Democratic opposition". She called for" things to return to normal", showing solidarity with Brazilian institutions.

In turn, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that he supports the "democratically elected government" in Brazil, condemning"the actions of groups that oppose legitimate results".

China also expressed its "strong opposition to the violent attack" on the headquarters of power in Brazil.

British prime minister Rishi Sunak said he condemns any attempt to undermine the peaceful transfer of power and the democratic will of the Brazilian people, after supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed government buildings.

Sunak wrote on Twitter that the new Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his government "have the full support of the United Kingdom".