(Rio de Janeiro) By wanting to prevent Lula from governing at all costs and by ransacking institutional buildings in Brasilia, the far-right rioters of January 8 finally strengthened the left-wing president in his power, analysts believe.
More than 4,000 supporters of former head of state Jair Bolsonaro, who have been refusing his electoral defeat to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva since October, took advantage of the fact that the new government was in full installation to sow chaos in the capital. .
Exactly one week after Lula’s inauguration, which had mixed ceremonial pomp and popular joy in Brasilia, unleashed hordes invaded and ransacked the presidential palace of Planalto, the Supreme Court and Congress.
“It is clear that the events (of January 8) had the opposite effect” to what was sought, told AFP Mayra Goulart, professor of political science at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ).
“Lula is undoubtedly coming out stronger. These assaults have created a climate of national unity for the defense of democracy,” she explains.
The image was strong: Lula descending the ramp of the presidential palace to go to the Place des Trois-pouvoirs, flanked by the heads of the Senate, the Chamber of Deputies, the Supreme Court and the governors, only a few hours after the ransacking of the places of power.
Together, they reaffirmed that the young democracy would not waver in Brazil, three decades after the end of the military dictatorship.
Abroad, the assault was unanimously condemned. Washington, Moscow, Beijing, the European Union, Paris and Latin American capitals expressed their full support for the president of a Brazil, which, under Bolsonaro, had isolated itself from the world.
“The international turmoil will strengthen the position of Lula, who will be seen as an important leader who can contribute to strengthening multilateral forums,” predicts Mr.me Goulart.
“Unanimous support”
Leandro Gabiati, director of the Dominium consulting firm, also believes that “the positive image that Lula already had abroad is being strengthened”. And that of Jair Bolsonaro, now targeted by the investigation into the instigators of the violence with which he swears to have no connection, even more degraded.
And domestically, Lula is strong “with the unanimous support of governors, Congress, the Supreme Court and the financial sector”, he too says, from all political tendencies.
In this sequence, the historic leader of the left also has behind him the political class and the Brazilian population, the vast majority of whom were shocked by the staggering images of violence against institutions.
Lula “was challenged and he came out of it rather well,” said Mr. Gabiati, evoking “a balanced attitude which made it possible, in a certain way, to restore normality”.
In official buildings still full of broken windows and gutted old furniture, the new ministers of Lula’s government continued to be invested in official ceremonies, almost as if nothing had happened, in the days following the Bolsonarian tornado.
But Lula’s government was firm: the “fascists” will be hunted down, sentenced – up to 30 years in prison for “terrorism” – as well as all those who organized and financed the riots and around whom the noose has grown. is tightened.
Within days, more than a thousand troublemakers were incarcerated.
The police forces and security services will be reorganized, the security of the presidential palace purged of Bolsonarists.
Lula will have to “take exemplary sanctions in order to avoid the repetition of this type of demonstrations”, estimates Mr. Gabiati.
“Country Divided”
Because the left-wing president remains under the threat of a Bolsonarist movement whose most extreme elements have not given up on bringing him down. And nothing says that the national union will last.
These events “remind us that Lula is facing a deeply divided country”, note the Eurasia consultants.
Lula defeated Bolsonaro on the presidential wire with 60 million votes against 58 million, after a violent and polarized campaign.
In addition, he must face many challenges for this third term at the head of Brazil where poverty and hunger are scourges.
“It is necessary to expend energy in the investigations and convictions of the putschists”, says Mme Goulart, but “this must not contaminate Lula’s mandate”.
The icon of the left will have to “improve the living conditions of the population, revive the economy and public policies”, if he wants to make his mandate a success.