Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro storm Congress building

By Sinan Dogan

BOGOTA (AA) - Hundreds of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro raided the National Congress in Brazil on Sunday.

Groups shouting slogans demanding intervention from the army broke through the police barrier and entered the Congress building, according to local media.

Police intervened with tear gas to disperse pro-Bolsonaro protesters.

Some demonstrators were seen climbing onto the roofs of the House of Representatives and Senate buildings.

Brazilian politician Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sworn in for a third term as Brazil's president in the capital Brasilia last week.

On Oct. 30, 2022, Lula beat far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in a tight race, garnering 50.9% of the vote compared with Bolsonaro’s 49.1%, according to Brazil's Supreme Electoral Court.

Lula had been a candidate during the 2018 presidential election until graft and money laundering convictions curtailed his political aspirations. He was sent to prison and Bolsonaro won the presidency. In 2019, Lula was released from prison after his convictions were overturned by the Supreme Court, allowing him to run again for office.

He was an influential figure during the "pink tide" era -- a period where many Latin American countries turned to the left.

The former union leader's political rise to presidency marks a new wave of regional leftist leaders from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, and Peru.