Allies of the former president () insist on amnesty for those arrested in the coup attacks on the headquarters of the three Powers on January 8, 2023 and classify the president () as a “smokescreen” for the government’s problems.
The Palácio do Planalto will present this Wednesday (8) works that have been vandalized and now restored, such as the painting “As Mulatas”, by painter Di Cavalcanti, followed by a ceremony with authorities. Finally, there will be a symbolic embrace with left-wing activists in Praça dos Três Poderes.
Two years after the attacks, Bolsonaro supporters maintain that there was no coup attempt and that there are unfair prisons or sentences. Deputies and senators from PL, Bolsonaro’s party, say they still believe that the project proposing amnesty will progress this year, despite the issue having stalled last year.
“The government continues to try to create smokescreens about the disaster that this administration has been,” says deputy Carlos Jordy (PL-RJ), leader of the opposition in the Chamber.
“High inflation, exploding interest rates, the dollar at a level never seen before, food prices increasingly high, and all this government knows how to do is relive January 8th every day and feed this narrative of a coup, an imaginary dictatorship.”
Jordy as part of Operation Lesa Pátria, aimed at identifying people who planned, financed and incited the January 8 attacks.
The leader of the opposition in the Senate, (PL-RN), criticized Lula for drawing a parallel between them and the 1964 dictatorship. He also complained about the persecution of opponents and said that the PT member would perform a circus in Praça dos Três Poderes.
“The president who talks about unshakable democracy is the same one who defends relative democracy in Brazil. Two days after the circus in Praça dos Três Poderes, Brazil will be officially represented in the rape of Venezuela’s democracy,” said Marinho, who was Bolsonaro’s minister.
The senator refers to the fact that the Brazilian government will be represented at the inauguration of dictator Nicolás Maduro, in Venezuela, with the ambassador in Caracas, Glivânia Maria de Oliveira, despite not officially recognizing the results of last year’s elections in the neighboring country.
Among Bolsonaro supporters, the general assessment is that the climate has already eased a little since the PF report that called for the indictment of almost 40 Bolsonaro supporters, including the former president himself, for an alleged coup attempt in 2022. The same occurs with regard to to the bomb attack in front of the (Federal Supreme Court), last November.
The group believes that (Republicanos-PB), likely president of the Chamber from February onwards, will follow the commitment made to PL leaders to put the amnesty proposal to a vote. The chance of approval of the text, however, is seen as remote even among the most optimistic.
They cite the government’s weight against the measure, with the possibility of the base postponing the nomination of names for the special commission that should be created for the topic. Furthermore, there is a possibility that there will be no votes in the plenary.
“I cannot be assertive due to a situation that does not depend on me. Parliament, unlike the Executive, is plural. Of course, if you have the President of the Republic on a persecutory rampage, encouraging the annihilation of the political field, this becomes more difficult, but we have arguments rationality and need to pacify the country. If the president doesn’t have the stature to do this, Congress has to,” said Marinho.
The fact that Hugo Motta was invited to the event at Palácio do Planalto and did not attend was interpreted as a positive gesture by Bolsonaro deputies. He provided support for the succession of (PP-AL) from the PT to the PL.
“He is a democrat, a good citizen. There is no reason to participate, and he is committed to us in putting the amnesty bill to vote”, said deputy Bibo Nunes (PL-RS).
More skeptical opposition deputies, in turn, believe that the proposal has little chance of succeeding and that Hugo Motta will not buy into the government to do so.
There is no provision for action, in principle, by the opposition to defend the prisoners. The assessment is that the date is not good for them, and Marinho goes so far as to say that it is necessary to “forget, not remember” the episode.
Even so, it is expected that many will speak out on social media, mainly to criticize the Lula government’s actions, which this year should have a more political character than last year.
