“The bandit will not go up the ramp.” A few minutes’ drive from downtown Brasilia is home to the city’s main military headquarters. In front of these structures, separated by an avenue, stands an immense encampment of large tents, with generators and strings of lights where its bizarre inhabitants wait like those who go to mass. “the miracle of a stroke”.
There live hundreds of fanatical supporters of outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro who repeat that opening sentence with the insult against PT leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and want the military across the street to rise up against the Constitution and prevent the hiring of the president-elect this January 1st
Far-right terrorists who were arrested when they prepared attacks serve as a pretext to materialize this anti-democratic revolt. The Armed Forces, however, despite the alliance with the outgoing president, immediately recognized the victory of the former PT president. Nothing indicates that they change their minds.
“We are here to save the homeland, so that communism doesn’t come back,” he says clarion Joao, who settled in with his family from the defeat that Bolsonaro never acknowledged in the October runoff.
Paranoid like many here, he doesn’t want the photos, he says he doesn’t know in whose hands they will end up. “With Lula what happens in your country will happen. The economy was fine, he’s going to screw it up, people will have to leave as he leaves Argentina,” he told the reporter.
The well-dressed, clean-shaven, well-groomed burly man residing in one of Brasilia’s satellite cities says he has no ties to terrorists accused of attempting an attack. But he claims people are armed. “Now more than ever, guns are legal here. thanks Mito”, the nickname of the outgoing president.
“We won’t leave. We will stay here as long as necessary”, says Maria next to him. Numerous children, also moderately well-groomed, can be seen in the place.
Bolsonaro goes on a trip?
– You stay but Lula takes on the first one, no one will stop him, why continue like this? (this envoy asks the woman)
– We know there has been a fraud and it needs to be fixed. We don’t want a coup, we want the elections to be repeated and organized by the military, as long as Bolsonaro rules.
-But Bolsonaro would leave Brazil tomorrow and for a long time!
– (The woman doesn’t answer) The other nods, as if he had just learned of the right-wing leader’s departure.
Next to it is a sign, already worn, with the inscription “SOS Forze Armate” and another, without limits, which recalls “Warriors of the Brazilian Povo” to the truck drivers, the ultrabolsonarist union that it blocked the whole country after the electoral defeat of its leader.
Behind there is a kind of large procession that greets and thanks the outgoing president, repeating his request to remain in power. “to save Brazil”. More than a greeting, almost an anguished exhortation, this is the message for the incoming former president.
The versions that Bolsonaro would leave silent these days, on the eve of the ceremony, leaving behind his fate and his flock of protesters whose right to demonstrate in these ways he defended on several occasions, he made the outgoing president himself give explanations.
He denied making a trip and described the matter as fake news.
“I’m not going to have a party. False. I won’t be traveling this Wednesday. False”, Bolsonaro told CNN Brazil succinctly, before the press reported that he has everything ready move to Florida for three months.
In the event of a trip, Bolsonaro would stay in Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, which he accompanied on your fraud claims in elections with Joe Biden and was the last world leader to acknowledge the victory of the Democrat.
By the way, what you are looking for is not be present at the transfer ceremony command in Brasilia and then not hand over the band to Lula da Silva. the same gesture as undemocratic contempt that the American had with his rival and Cristina Kirchner with Mauricio Macri in our country. Populist coincidences.
Mostly middle class people
The field of Brasilia has along several blocks and it is wide, with huge carp that are no longer there piling up in neat rows. They are surrounded by solid structures, numerous power generators, chemical kitchens and toilets. there are also businessesone with a large sign offering hot dogs.
It is located on a wide strip of wooded grass that extends along the Avenida del Ejército, in front of the barracks. The population of that citadel is varied, but They generally look middle class. They dress properly and look well fed.
They exhibit a fanatical speech but well done. “With Bolsonaro we had a drop in inflation, growth, a primary surplus and respected public spending, all of this will disappear,” says a man in his seventies, a university student, in the group questioned by this correspondent. The others nod.
The number of people living there is still large but has been declining since the huge peak after Lulista’s victory on October 30, in the final round. Some families rotate, but in general already there are many who do not return.
Reinaldo, a taxi driver who often passes by that place, tells the reporter first the whole avenue was busy because of the people, it was a crowd and there was no place for tents. But they slowly left, and… now the toughest ones remain, he claims.
The driver is also a member of Bolsonaro but does not agree with that protest movement. “This is not working. Lula will take office, there is no doubt, but she will not suit him. We have four very difficult years ahead of us”predicts convinced.
“This is the real homeland, here are the real patriots,” says Josue, a Pentecostal evangelist who calmly repeats Bolsonaro’s message in the campaign against Lula: “He’s a thief, he should be in jail, but the judges are his friends and they got him out of jail, that’s why there is no more democracy”, he affirms with conviction.
The reference is because the former president was more than 500 days in prison after being convicted of passive bribery, but the Supreme Court found failures in the trial and trial and acquitted him of the charges.
Fake news to keep people
The entire site is adorned with Brazilian flags and many wear the yellow jersey of Bolsonaro’s political force and still others that of the Brazilian team. From here they followed the world and they despaired when Verdeamarela finally fell against Croatia.
In order for people not to leave, rounds of speeches by activists were arranged, reporting versions that something will happen to the military without clarifying where the information came from or reporting on Lula’s decisions, including fictitious appointments but annoying people for the new toilet.
A persistent fact in this region is that former PT chairman Dilma Rousseff, demolished in an impeachment, would be designated head of state giant Petrobras, central link of the enormous corruption of Lava Jato erupted during the unfortunate governments of this leader. The information is false, but they still repeat it as if it already happened.
The new government has anticipated that it will not repress these gatherings, but in agreement with the military they will adopt measures to make the stay uncomfortable. In principle they will remove all portable toilets used by the inhabitants of the coup region. Kitchens too. And the generators. They believe that this way the citadel will vanish. They are probably not wrong.
Brasilia. Special delivery
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Source: Clarin
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.