Turkiye condemns right-wing violent protests in Brazil, expresses support for President Lula

Turkiye has expressed solidarity with Brazil’s President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, condemning the violent protests and storming of government buildings by supporters of the country’s former far-right President.

Hundreds of supporters of former Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, yesterday broke past police barriers and managed to storm the National Congress building while shouting slogans and demanding the Brazilian military to intervene in the political process, following President da Silva’s victory over Bolsonaro in October last year and his swearing into office at the beginning of this month.

They also managed to forcefully enter and ransack the Planalto Palace – President’s office – and the Supreme Federal Court, being seen in photos and videos circulating around social media vandalising the buildings’ interiors.

In a statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry today, it said that “We condemn the acts of violence against the Government led by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Congress and the Constitutional Court in Brazil”. The Ministry added that “It is important to respect the results of elections and the democratic processes that reflect the will of the people in the country.”

Other countries have also condemned the protestors’ violence and expressed support for Brazilian authorities – including the United States, Germany, China, India, and even Russia – while calling the acts a direct attack on democracy.

Many activists and political figures have also called it an insurrection, comparing it to the storming of the US Capitol and its government buildings by right-wing or conservative protesters supporting former American President Donald Trump on 6 January, 2020.

OPINION: If Lula’s victory in Brazil is to mean anything, the Palestinians need a unified foreign policy