Brazilian security forces regain control of Congress building, arrest 170 protesters

By Bala Chambers

BUENOS AIRES (AA) - Security forces in Brazil regained control of the National Congress building Sunday and arrested 170 supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro who were among the hundreds of protesters who stormed inside and ransacked the legislative chambers.

"There are already 170 people arrested in today's operation. Police procedures are being finalized by units of the Specialized Police Department (DPE) of the PCDF (Civil Police of the Federal District,” the PCDF said on Twitter.​​​​​​​

“All are suspected of participating in criminal acts carried out against the headquarters of the Powers of the Republic,” it added.

Bolsonaro meanwhile insisted in a tweet that "peaceful demonstrations, in the form of the law, are part of democracy. However, depredations and invasions of public buildings as occurred today, as well as those practiced by the left in 2013 and 2017,” are not within the rules.

Bolsonaro, who left the country two days prior to the Jan. 1 inauguration of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for a third term as president and is living in Orlando, Florida in the US, wrote on Twitter that "throughout my mandate, I was always (operating) within the four lines of the Constitution, respecting and defending the laws, democracy, transparency and our sacred freedom.”

Bolsonaro also repudiated accusations being levelled against him "without evidence, attributed to me by the current head of the executive of Brazil."

His remarks followed comments by Lula earlier Sunday at a press conference where he had alleged that the far-right politician had encouraged such actions in a number of his speeches.

After Lula's election victory last October, Bolsonaro supporters demonstrated, many blocking highways across the country and pushing for the military to intervene against the leftist leader.

Ahead of the vote, Bolsonaro also cast doubt about whether he would respect the election results, raising concerns about Brazil's electronic voting system without providing evidence.

On Sunday, Bolsonaro supporters managed to invade and ransack three branches of the government in the capital Brasilia -- the Planalto Palace, or President's office, Congress and the Supreme Federal Court -- until they were eventually contained by security forces.