The act promoted by the president () to mark three years since the attacks of January 8, 2023 had little support outside the left-wing forces traditionally close to the PT member. The ceremony was held this Thursday (8), at Palácio do Planalto.
The main absences were the presidents of the other Powers. The minister, from the (Supreme Federal Court), the deputy (-PB), from the Chamber, and the senator (União-AP), from the , did not attend.
The vice-president of the STF, minister, did not participate either. He was mainly responsible for the action that condemned the former president (PL) and other allies in the coup plot process.
Motta told allies that he would not attend because Lula’s actions on the issue stimulate political disputes between Bolsonaro supporters and PT members. The president of the Chamber was elected to the position with the support of these two groups, and tries not to take part in the friction between these forces.
In addition to polarization, the recess of the Legislature and Judiciary also contributes to the reduced presence of leaders.
With lukewarm popular participation, the event was marked mainly by movements affiliated with the PT and PC do B, as well as representatives of trade unions.
In , organizers already projected that the event would not have a large turnout. For Planalto, there was concern about the movement of people in Praça dos Três Poderes, which is undergoing renovation. Brasília’s rainy climate at this time of year would also be a dispersion factor.
Before his speech, Lula mentioned that many of those present were on vacation — and read the names of all the politicians, in an attempt to avoid the view that the event was empty.
Without the presence of the presidents of the Chamber and the Senate, the PT member felt comfortable with the bill that reduces the sentences of Bolsonaro and other allies convicted of the coup plot.
Political organizers from Planalto say, privately, that the PT member would leave the veto for another time if Motta or Alcolumbre participated in the ceremony.
The PT member and his allies framed the event as an act in defense of democracy. There was no criticism of Congress in the president’s speech.
Still, few politicians from outside the left participated.
The main representative of the center without direct links to the government seen in the report was the deputy and former minister (-MA). Another member of a party outside the left was senator Veneziano Vital do Rêgo (-AL).
PT senators and deputies predominated in the audience, such as (PT-AP), (PT-BA) and (PT-CE). Government ministers were also present, such as Camilo Santana (Education), (Health), (Mines and Energy), (Environment), (Culture), (Transport) and (Racial Equality).
The Minister of Defense, José Múcio Monteiro attended, as did the commanders of the Armed Forces.
In addition to them, governors Elmano de Freitas, from Ceará, Jerônimo Rodrigues, from Bahia, and Fátima Bezerra, from Rio Grande do Norte, all from PT, were on site.
The reaction to the depredations of January 8, 2023 at that time. In the following years, the union waned.
This Thursday (8), ministers minimized the absences of politicians. “Polls show that the vast majority of the Brazilian people are against what happened on January 8th,” said Camilo Santana. Renan Filho said that the presidents of the Chamber and Senate are supportive of the January 8 agenda. “Doing this act is keeping alive the memory of what the country faced,” he declared.
The absence of the Legislative leadership occurs at a time of Congress. The PT member and Alcolumbre are rebuilding their relationship after the president of the Senate was upset with the decision, by the head of the Executive, for a vacancy in the STF (Supreme Federal Court). Alcolumbre and other senators would like the nominee to be (-MG), former president of the House.
The president of the Senate is in his state, Amapá, taking advantage of the Legislative recess to dedicate himself to local political commitments.
