Three years after the invasion and depredation of the headquarters of the Three Powers, on January 8, 2023, the financial balance of the coup acts already exceeds R$20 million in losses to public coffers. The figure, however, is not definitive and is expected to grow as technical assessments of historical assets of high symbolic and cultural value are completed.
The survey brings together amounts paid and estimates made by the Federal Supreme Court, the National Congress and the Palácio do Planalto, the three main targets of the attack that took place a week after the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT).
That Sunday, supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro broke security barriers and invaded Congress, Planalto and the STF. The images broadcast live showed plenary halls destroyed, works of art vandalized, documents scattered and symbols of the Republic being attacked.
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Parliamentarians and ministers had to be hurriedly removed, while the National Force and the National Guard were called in to regain control of the Esplanada dos Ministérios.
Judiciary
The biggest financial impact fell on the Supreme Court. According to updated data from the Court, the damage already reaches around R$12 million, considering both expenses already executed and values still projected.
The destruction, theft or irreversible damage of 951 items alone represented a direct impact of R$8.6 million. Among the damaged goods are four photographs by photographer Sebastião Salgado, valued at R$784,000, as well as ten TV Justiça cameras, whose replacement cost reaches R$2 million. Computers, furniture, official documents and security equipment were also targets of the attackers.
The STF plenary, the epicenter of the depredation in the Court building, required reconstruction work estimated at R$3.4 million. The space had carpets listed by the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan) replaced — around 850 square meters in gold color — as well as curtains, chairs, panels, electrical systems and furniture items.
At least 106 historical pieces from the collection, such as sculptures and furniture of value considered irreplaceable, could not be restored. In response, the Supreme Court chose to preserve part of the marks of violence, creating memory points with damaged fragments and traces of the attack as a permanent historical record.
Legislative
In the National Congress, the combined losses of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate reach around R$4.9 million. In the Chamber, the damage already recorded totals R$2.7 million. Of this total, R$1.2 million was allocated to building maintenance, with repairs to electrical, hydraulic and glass systems, while R$1.4 million corresponds to the restoration of 68 items from the artistic collection, such as paintings, sculptures and panels.
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Around 400 computers were destroyed, with replacement costs exceeding R$2 million, in addition to two Legislative Police vehicles valued at R$500,000.
The Green Room, the House’s main space, will require the replacement of around 2,000 square meters of carpet, at an estimated expense of R$626,000.
Among the stolen goods, the work “The Pearl”, a gift from the Qatari government to the Chamber of Deputies, made of gold, pearl and leather, valued at R$5,000, remains missing. Works by artists such as Athos Bulcão, Victor Brecheret and Sônia Ebling also suffered structural damage.
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In the Federal Senate, losses are estimated at approximately R$1.3 million. The most expensive restoration involves the 19th-century historical painting “Act of Signing the First Constitution,” which measures nearly three meters by four and is framed in rosewood with gold leafing. The work suffered damage after vandals hung on it, and the recovery cost was estimated at R$800,000.
Another relevant intervention is the restoration of the Burle Marx tapestry, damaged by tears, stains and urine, with a projected cost of R$250,000, including transport and insurance. Part of the historical furniture, such as a 19th century desk from the former Monroe Palace, was recovered after a detailed process of recomposing fragments and returned to the Senate’s museum collection.
Executive
The Palácio do Planalto, although it recorded less structural destruction, suffered significant losses in its cultural heritage. Works of art and historical objects have been damaged, and a significant part of the cost is associated with specialized restoration processes.
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The General Coordination of Asset Management of the Presidency identified faults in 24 works. Of these, 15 had their values assessed by the agency, totaling around R$3.5 million.
The most emblematic case involves the 18th century French clock, produced by Balthazar Martinot and given to the Portuguese royal family as a gift from the French court. The piece, thrown to the ground during the invasion, has only two known units in the world — the other is in the Palace of Versailles.
In the structure of the building, the biggest expense identified so far was the replacement of broken glass, estimated at R$204,000. In addition, 149 items were stolen, including spark stun guns, medical equipment such as stethoscopes, nebulizers and glucometers, handcuffs, armchairs and drawers.
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The total cost reported by the Executive, including works of art and structural repairs, reaches approximately R$4.3 million.
Three years later, not all the damage has been fully measured. The 18th century French clock brought to Brazil by Dom João VI, one of the most striking symbols of the attack, has not yet had an estimated financial value, given its historical relevance. Other sculptures, furniture and protocol pieces remain under technical analysis, which indicates that the total cost may increase.
In addition to the material dimension, January 8th generated a broad institutional response. The Attorney General’s Office denounced more than 1,300 people involved in the attacks, and most of the complaints have already been accepted by the STF. In parallel, the Federal Attorney General’s Office took legal action to try to recover the amounts spent, seeking to hold both the executors and the financiers of the acts responsible.
