A man in front of the STF (Supreme Federal Court). The Federal Police are investigating the case on the grounds of the crime of abolition of the democratic rule of law and terrorism. The court appointed minister Alexandre de Moraes to be the rapporteur of the inquiry.
In the apartment rented by Francisco Wanderley Luiz, 59, in Ceilândia, administrative region of the Federal District, police found a message for Débora Rodrigues, arrested for spray painting the statue in front of the Supreme Court.
The explosions occurred around 7:30 pm this Wednesday, one near the main building of the Supreme Court and another in a 1999/2000 Kia Shuma vehicle found near one of the annexes of the , also close to the Judiciary headquarters.
This Thursday (14), the Military Police of the Federal District.
What do witnesses say about the explosions?
In , STF security guard Natanael Carmelo reported that a man approached the statue of Justice, in front of the court, and then took a fire extinguisher and a blouse from his backpack, throwing it at the sculpture. When approached by security guards, he opened his shirt showing an object similar to a digital watch and warned them not to come closer.
Then, he launched two or three artifacts, which exploded. Carmelo said he asked for support immediately after that.
The man would then lie on the ground, lighting the last device, placing it on his head and waiting for the explosion.
The STF security guard said he did not see if anyone else helped in the attempted attack on the court. Another witness stated that he saw a man pass in front of a bus stop, which is located in Praça dos Três Poderes, waving to those who were there, and that shortly afterwards a first explosion was heard.
Who was Francisco Wanderley Luiz?
The perpetrator of the explosions was identified by the police as Francisco Wanderley Luiz, 59, a locksmith, former candidate for councilor for the PL in 2020, with the name Tiü França, in Rio do Sul (SC). He received 98 votes and was not elected.
Francisco wore pants and a suit with the same pattern as playing card suits, with a dark green background, like an anarchist comic book villain. Next to his body, a white hat was found.
What is known about the plans of the perpetrator of the explosions?
Before the explosions, he said that the Federal Police would have to disarm the equipment, making reference to a game.
“Let’s play??? Federal Police, you have 72 hours to disarm the bomb in the house of the shitty communists,” he said, in cell phone screenshots published on his Facebook page.
Francisco was also at the STF premises on August 24th. He even published, on his Facebook profile, a photo of himself (the possibility of it being a montage is not clear) in front of what would be the empty court plenary, saying that “they let the fox into the hen house (sty)”.
What does the Federal Police point out about the attack?
The director general of the Federal Police, Andrei Rodrigues, . According to him, the corporation is investigating the episode based on two hypotheses: abolition of the democratic rule of law and terrorism. For investigators, it was a premeditated case.
He pointed out the presence of the locksmith in Brasília on previous occasions, the artifacts found in the car he owned and the place rented for staying in the country’s capital. He also attributed the action to the radicalization of extremist groups.
Also confirmed.
What do PL, Jorge Goetten and Bolsonaro say about the case?
. He confirms that Francisco was still linked to the party, but says he did not know him. “We have almost 1 million members in Brazil, clearly this was an unbalanced guy. It was an isolated case”, says Valdemar.
Federal deputy Jorge Goetten (Republicanos-SC), the last one in August this year, sent a message in a WhatsApp group with opposition deputies saying that he “really appeared to have severe mental problems”.
Former President of the Republic Jair Bolsonaro (PL), wrote. He also said that “it is past time for Brazil to once again cultivate an adequate environment so that different ideas can confront each other peacefully.”
Why is Moraes rapporteur for the investigation into the attack?
The PF investigation into the bomb attack in Praça dos Três Poderes, a mechanism in the Judiciary that directs the conduct of processes to a certain minister who already works on related cases. In a statement, the Supreme Court stated that the decision was taken by the president of the STF, Luís Roberto Barroso.
The thesis that the case is apparently related to the undemocratic acts that took place on January 8 was presented by the Federal Police in the records. The investigation is carried out in secret.
What impact did the attack have on the amnesty agenda?
This Thursday morning, . The minister spoke out against the amnesty for those involved in the coup acts of January 8, 2023, which is the subject of a project being processed in the Chamber of Deputies, with the support of Bolsonaro.
In reaction, the leader of the opposition in , (PL-RN), . He also considered it regrettable that Moraes made what he classified as conclusions about the case that will be under his responsibility.
How did the Three Powers react to the explosions?
The president of the House, (PP-AL), decided to suspend all activities until 12pm on Thursday and asked that the case be investigated “with the necessary urgency”. The Senate will not have business hours.
The president (PT) was on an agenda with STF ministers Gilmar Mendes, Cristiano Zanin and Alexandre de Moraes at Palácio da Alvorada, and the head of the Federal Police was also present. According to a report collected by Sheetthe atmosphere was one of “astonishment”.
The chief minister of AGU (Attorney General of the Union), Jorge Messias, stated that the PF will investigate the case with rigor and speed, while the minister of Secom (Secretariat of Social Communication), Paulo Pimenta, wrote that actions against institutions are attacks “on democracy and the Brazilian people”.
What security measures were taken?
The STF building began to be evacuated at around 8 pm, shortly after the end of the day’s trial session. And the court underwent an investigation into the risks.
The PF sent the COT (Tactical Operations Command) and its Anti-Bomb group to sweep the Três Poderes square. And the Military Police of the Federal District deactivated at least eight explosives found in the Praça dos Três Poderes region, in Brasília, during the early hours and morning of this Thursday (14).
According to the GSI (Institutional Security Office), one of the levels of the so-called Shield Plan was activated, with reinforcement from the Army, due to concerns that it might not be an isolated action. After a sweep of the Palácio do Planalto, the GSI reported that the place is safe.
There were also searches at a possible address in Francisco, where some suspicious artifacts were found by sniffer dogs.
