The MEPs who this Wednesday intervened in a debate in the European Parliament on the attacks on democratic institutions in Brazil were unanimous in condemning what they consider to be a copy of the attack on the Capitol, in the United States, a year earlier.

In a debate on “the invasion of Brazilian democratic institutions” by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro, on January 8, deputies drew a parallel with the attack in Washington on January 6, 2021 by supporters of the then outgoing US President , Donald Trump, and stressed the importance of holding accountable all those involved in the events in Brasilia.

Speaking on behalf of the European Commission, Commissioner Adina Valean pointed out that “the European Union has reiterated its confidence in Brazil’s democracy and in the strength of its institutions”, and said she was convinced that they “will prevail over violence and extremism”.

“The attack on Brazil’s core institutions did not start last Sunday. Regrettably, it is the result of years of politically polarized attacks against the judiciary, against the free press and against civil society, further amplified by social media, and this it is by no means limited to Brazil. This is a problem for all our democracies”, he warned.

MEP Maria Manuel Leitão Marques, from the PS, observed that “the imitation game that the pro-Bolsonaro movements made of the attack on the Capitol” also reveals “a repetition of similar far-right methods”, namely “the non-recognition of the result of democratic elections and the creation and dissemination of false information through social networks”.

“It is now important that investigations continue, identifying their direct perpetrators, but also all those who, behind, instigated and financed these events”, he said.

For her part, Marisa Matias also drew a parallel between what happened in Brasília and, a year earlier, in Washington, stating that “Trump and Bolsonaro go hand in hand in the same struggle for the destruction of democracy”.

“We therefore strongly support efforts to ensure a prompt, impartial, serious and effective investigation, in order to identify, prosecute and hold accountable all those involved, including the instigators, organizers and financiers, as well as the omissions of state institutions that did not act to prevent these attacks,” he said.

Francisco Guerreiro, an independent MEP belonging to the European Greens group, commented that “the extreme right has a fanatical and violent script, and the latest episodes of invasion of institutions representing the rule of law, both in the United States and in Brazil, are a clear example of this political savagery”.

After tonight’s debate, Parliament will adopt, on Thursday, a resolution on the events in Brasilia.

Supporters of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro invaded and vandalized the headquarters of the country’s three powers in Brasília on January 8 – the Federal Supreme Court, Congress and the Planalto Palace -, forcing federal intervention to restore order and prompting condemnation from the community International.

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