"Inciting Riot" Bolsonaro Faces US Political Calls to "Send Him Back to Brazil"

Condemnation Remarks by President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken

On the 8th (local time) in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, protesters supporting former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the Planalto Palace, where President Luiz In?cio Lula da Silva's office is located, clashing with the police. President Lula called the protesters "fanatics, fascists" and stated, "We will use all legal measures to hold them accountable." Photo by AP=Yonhap [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, former president of Brazil, incited riots on the 8th (local time) in protest against the results of last October's Brazilian presidential election, prompting growing condemnation from the Biden administration and others.

According to foreign media such as AP News and Politico, there is a growing opinion in U.S. political circles that Jair Bolsonaro (67), the former Brazilian president currently staying in the United States, should be sent back to his home country.

U.S. President Joe Biden tweeted, "I condemn the attack on Brazil's democracy and peaceful transfer of power," emphasizing, "Brazil's democratic institutions have our full support, and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined."

Foreign media reported that since the riot led by Bolsonaro's supporters caused social unrest, being dubbed the "Brazilian version of the January 6 Capitol riot," attention is focused on what decision President Biden and U.S. political circles will make regarding Bolsonaro's status.

Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro told CNN in an interview, "Bolsonaro should not remain in Florida," adding, "The United States must not become a refuge for this dictator who incited terrorism in Brazil; he must be extradited back to Brazil."

Bolsonaro lost his bid for re-election by a margin of 1.8 percentage points in the runoff vote of last October's presidential election. Two days before the inauguration of President Luiz In?cio Lula da Silva (77), Bolsonaro left for the United States on the 30th of last month with security personnel and is currently staying in Florida, the stronghold of former President Donald Trump.

Since immediately after the election, Bolsonaro has consistently refused to officially acknowledge his defeat. His stay in the U.S. has also broken the tradition where the outgoing president hands over the presidential sash to the incoming president at the inauguration ceremony.

Congressman Castro criticized in the interview, "Bolsonaro used a Trump-style script to incite terrorists within Brazil."

This criticism stems from the similarity between the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, during which former President Trump was accused of inciting his supporters, and the recent Brazilian riot.

Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also tweeted, "Two years after the U.S. Capitol was attacked by fascists, we are witnessing the same thing happening in Brazil," and stated that Bolsonaro should be sent back to Brazil.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also tweeted, "Violence used to attack democratic institutions is never acceptable," and added, "We call for the immediate cessation of such actions together with the Lula da Silva administration."

Locally, Bolsonaro's supporters who led the riot reportedly broke the glass of the presidential office, occupied it, and continued threatening acts such as firing fireworks from the roof of the National Congress building.