The Minister of Justice, Ricardo Lewandowski, stated this Tuesday (19) that President Lula (PT) is “surprised and astonished” by the alleged coup plot that included a plan to kill him. Lewandowski spoke with the PT member over the phone about the Federal Police investigation.
“[Lula] I was surprised, astonished by the scale of this blow. He could not imagine that he could be a fatal victim of these criminal agents”, reported the minister. The president has not yet commented on Operation Countercoup. This Wednesday (20), Lula receives an official visit from the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, in Brasília.
For Lewandowski, the evidence against the four military officers and the federal police officer arrested preventively is “very strong”, reported the Brazil Agency. According to investigations, the group also intended to assassinate vice-president Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) and minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF).
“The evidence of the commission of these crimes is very strong, especially because preventive detention requires, firstly, the verification of the materiality of the crime. And this was verified. And strong evidence of authorship. The facts are extremely serious, absolutely unacceptable and put not only republican institutions at risk, but the lives of Brazilian citizens”, stressed the minister.
PF is “disappointed” with the arrest of “one of its own”, says Lewandowski
The Minister of Justice stated that the Federal Police is “disappointed” with the arrest of agent Wladimir Matos Soares. According to the investigation, Soares passed on information about Lula’s security during the transition period in 2022.
“The Federal Police are disappointed because one of their own participated in this coup attempt, the violent abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law and a criminal organization. These are the three charges that are made against these people. For now, suspects, they will still be judged by the Federal Supreme Court”, said the minister.
“It is very serious that people who were trained by the State, for the lawful use of violence, who were armed by the State, carry out this type of attack against the State itself. This is unacceptable, it is not expected”, he added.
Suspects were close to “materializing their criminal intentions”, admits minister
Lewandowski acknowledged that the suspects were very close to “materializing their criminal intentions”, especially against Moraes, who had the area around his functional apartment, in Brasília, monitored by those involved.
“I can tell you that, through the investigation, to which everyone had access, the secrecy of Justice was removed, the suspects, the accused came very close to materializing their criminal intentions. It is clear that the security of authorities is being updated and improved,” he stated.
Operation Countercoup
This Tuesday morning (19), the Federal Police arrested five people for allegedly planning a coup d’état after the defeat of then-president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in the 2022 presidential elections.
Among those arrested are four soldiers linked to the Army’s Special Forces, the so-called “black kids” and a federal police officer, who worked in Lula’s security during the government’s transition period:
- Hélio Ferreira Lima: Army lieutenant colonel;
- Mario Fernandes: reserve general, served as interim minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic in the Bolsonaro government, was also an advisor to deputy Eduardo Pazuello (PL-RJ);
- Rafael Martins de Oliveira: major;
- Rodrigo Bezerra de Azevedo: major;
- Wladimir Matos Soares: federal police officer.
