The event is attended by the president, ministers and commanders of the Armed Forces
The president’s government (PT) is holding an event this Wednesday (8 January 2025) to remember the attacks of . The event takes place at Praça dos Três Poderes from 9:30 am. The date marks 2 years since the invasion and depredation of Congress, the STF (Supreme Federal Court) and the Palácio do Planalto by right-wing extremists.
In a ceremony with 4 acts at Palácio do Planalto and Praça dos Três Poderes, the PT member will re-present 21 works of art, including paintings, sculptures and historical artifacts, restored after being vandalized 2 years ago.
The heads of the Armed Forces of the act. The idea is to give institutional symbolism to the act after the PF (Federal Police) report on an attempted coup d’état in 2022 indicated active participation by members of the Forces, including the High Command.
Watch the event live:
The current and likely future commanders of the House and Senate will participate in the event. The president of , (PSD-MG), is outside Brazil and should only return to Brasília next week. The commander of the Chamber, (PP-AL), is also outside Brasília and has not yet confirmed its presence.
The favorites to take over both Houses from February are also not expected to attend the event. (União Brasil-AP), the most likely to head the Senate, is still in Amapá, where congressmen spend their recess. The favorite to take over the Chamber, (Republicanos-PB), also did not confirm their presence.
The event starts at 9:30 am at Planalto and extends to Praça dos Três Poderes. The commanders of the Armed Forces will be present, at Lula’s request. The president must use his speech to defend democracy and institutions.
Here is the itinerary:
- 9:30 am, in the Audience Room of Palácio do Planalto – Lula reopens the clock Balthasar Martinot, 17th century, in the invasion of the Plateau. It was repaired in Switzerland at no cost to the Brazilian government. It will also announce the end of the restoration process of the pieces, with the delivery of 20 restored works to Palácio da Alvorada;
- 10:30 am, on the 3rd floor of Palácio do Planalto – Lula will do the unveiling of the work “As Mulatas”, by Di Cavalcanti (1897-1976), by protesters. Five students from the Heritage Education Project will give Lula replicas they produced of the amphora and “As Mulatas”;
- 11am, in the Noble Hall of the Planalto Palace – Lula will speak to an audience of guests, including his ministers, the commanders of the Armed Forces and representatives of the Judiciary, Legislature and social movements;
- 12pm-1pm, at Praça dos 3 Poderes – after the authorities speak, Lula and guests will go down the Planalto ramp for a symbolic hug in the square. The government hopes that there will be a public presence for the event, waiting for Lula outside the Planalto.
The heads of the Legislature and Judiciary should not attend. THE of the STF, Luís Roberto Barroso, will be represented by the minister vice-president of Corte. (PSD-MG), president of the Senate, not external. (PP-AL), from the Chamber, is also outside Brasília and has not confirmed his presence.
The event at Planalto is organized by the Presidency. The act in the square is public. The organization was in charge of PT Nacional and the Federal District directory. Both did not want to publish confirmed lists. The indication is that few social and trade union movements will support the Chief Executive’s programming. THE (Central Única dos Trabalhadores) confirmed its presence.
Restoration completed
Twenty of the works that returned to the Palácio do Planalto after being damaged by the invasion of the 8th of January were restored in a laboratory set up in the Palácio da Alvorada. The restoration began on January 2, 2024, according to Planalto.
According to the government, around 50 professionals worked directly on the restoration for more than 1,760 hours. The restoration activities included the production of 20 technical reports detailing the recovery process of each work.
The only piece that was not restored in Brazil was the clock by Balthazar Martinot, dating from the 17th century, which belonged to Dom João 6º. The restoration of the item was carried out in Switzerland, after Brazil signed a technical cooperation agreement with that country’s embassy. According to Planalto, there were no expenses for the repair.
“The traditional Swiss family watchmaking company Audemars Piguet, created in 1875, offered to carry out the restoration and covered the technical costs (labor and materials), as well as transport and insurance. Therefore, there was no public spending. The agreement allowed that, in less than 12 months, the pieces of the artifact were sent to Switzerland and the clock returned to Brazil restored, after more than a thousand hours of work”wrote Planalto.
