The president () recalled this Wednesday (8) the investigations into the 2022 coup plot and the film “” when speaking at a ceremony marking two years since the January 8 coup attacks.
“We are still here, contrary to what the coup plotters planned,” he declared.
With more than 3 million viewers, “I’m Still Here”, by Walter Salles, portrays the story of the family of Rubens Paiva, kidnapped and murdered by the military dictatorship. Last Sunday, the actress won the award for best actress in a drama film at the Golden Globes for her portrayal of the widow, Eunice Paiva.
January 8 was marked by one of the biggest attacks on democracy, with vandalism at the headquarters of the three powers carried out by supporters of the former president ().
The (Federal Supreme Court) has so far sentenced 375 defendants for the acts that resulted in the indictment of 1,682 people involved.
“Today is the day to say, loud and clear, we are still here. We are here to say that we are alive, that democracy is alive, contrary to what the coup plotters planned on January 8, 2023,” said Lula.
“We are here, women and men of different origins, beliefs, parties and ideologies, united by a common cause. We are here to say loud and clear dictatorship no more, democracy always. We are here to remember that, if we are here, it is because democracy won”, added the president, to applause.
At another point in his speech, the president again defended punishment for those responsible for the coup attacks.
“Those responsible for January 8th are being investigated and punished. No one has been or will be arrested unjustly. Everyone will pay for the crimes they committed, everyone,” he said.
“Including those who planned the assassination of the president and vice-president of the Republic and the president of the Superior Electoral Court. They will have ample rights of defense and will have the right to the presumption of innocence”, he added.
According to , the plan articulated in 2022 to avoid the inauguration of Lula by the PT member, the vice-president, (), and the minister, then president of the (Superior Electoral Court).
Lula has said that he wants to make 2025 a year of defending democracy. The speech was made behind closed doors several times, but also in a phone call to Fernanda Torres recently, when he reached out to her to congratulate her on the Golden Globe.
In the call, he also linked the opposition led by Bolsonaro to the military dictatorship.
At this Wednesday’s ceremony, Lula avoided the term “loyalist military”, which had caused noise in the barracks last year, and thanked the Minister of Defense, José Mucio, and the commanders of the Armed Forces.
“I want to thank Mucio, who brought the three commanders of the Armed Forces to show this country that it is possible for us to build the Armed Forces with the aim of defending national sovereignty”, he said.
After the ceremony, Múcio said that he awaits the end of the Federal Police’s investigation into the alleged coup attempt in 2022 to punish those responsible and, on the other hand, eliminate suspicions about innocent people.
It was up to Moraes, later, in a minor act of the STF, to criticize the Army’s omission in relation to the coup camps in front of its barracks two years ago.
“There was inertia, there was a failure to allow camps to be set up in front of the barracks asking for intervention, calling for a coup. This is a crime. And today no one can say they don’t know about this, these are crimes of incitement, of criminal organization for being at the head of barracks”, said the minister.
Applauded and greeted with shouts of “Xandão” when he was announced at the event in Planalto, Moraes was the target of Lula’s joke at the event at the Executive headquarters.
The president said that no other STF minister had had a nickname “from the people” like his. “You’ll never free yourself from that nickname again, that’s for sure. There’s no point in being nervous that no one will ever stop calling you Xandão”, said the PT member, amidst laughter.
The ceremony at the palace was attended by PT members, STF ministers and commanders of the Armed Forces.
The president of the STF, Luís Roberto Barroso, did not attend, but sent a message through minister Edson Fachin. In the text, he criticized what he called the “false narrative” that confronting extremism “would constitute authoritarianism” and said that “lies continue to be used as a naturalized political instrument.”
STF ministers Cristiano Zanin, Gilmar Mendes and Carmen Lúcia also participated in the event. STJ magistrates, such as Daniela Teixeira and Luis Felipe Salomão, were also present.
as to Sheet showed, there was an expectation of political emptying, with a greater presence of left-wing parliamentarians, which was confirmed. Representatives Zeca Dirceu (-PR) and Lindbergh Faria (PT-RJ) and senators Jaques Wagner (PT-BA) and Eliziane Gama (-MA), among others, were present.
The Congress leadership, however, was absent. The presidents of the Chamber, (-AL), and of , (PSD-MG), as well as their likely successors, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB) and Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP) were missing.
Party leaders were called, such as Gilberto Kassab (PSD) and Baleia Rossi (MDB), but they did not come. Furthermore, all governors were invited, but only three were: Elmano de Freitas (Ceará), Fátima Bezerra (Rio Grande do Norte) and Jerônimo de Freitas (Bahia), all PT members. The vice-governor of Pernambuco, Priscila Krause (Citizenship), participated representing her state.
After the event, he participated in an event involving left-wing parties and social movements in Praça dos Três Poderes, a symbolic embrace of the place. He went down the ramp with other authorities.
Throughout the day, there were three events at Palácio do Planalto in memory of January 8th. In the morning, Lula presented pieces that were vandalized at the time and were restored, including an amphora (vase).
The watch was restored in Switzerland, at no cost to the Brazilian government.
Another 20 works were restored by experts at Palácio da Alvorada, where a kind of laboratory was created.
In a speech that discussed the pieces, the first lady, Rosângela da Silva, known as Janja, said that the hatred behind the January 8 coup attacks continues “stimulating fascist and authoritarian speeches”.
“The Palácio do Planalto, where we are today, was a victim of the hatred that stimulates and continues to stimulate anti-democratic acts, which continues to stimulate fascist and authoritarian speech. Therefore, our response is unity, solidarity and love”, he stated.
Like the president, she also mentioned the Walter Salles film. However, she was more direct when mentioning Fernanda Torres.
“There was no moment in history when authoritarian actions took place without our artists raising their voices in defense of democracy. (…) An example of this is the fact that our dear friend Fernanda Torres received such an important award for her performance” , he said.
In a second event, there was a presentation of the work “As Mulatas” by Di Cavalcanti. The painting was torn in seven places and, according to Planalto, its estimated value was around R$8 million. In addition, an exhibition was held on the ground floor of the palace with the other works.
