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Labor unions and social movements held a demonstration in defense of democracy on Thursday (Jan. 8) in Cinelândia, a central area of Rio de Janeiro. The mobilization marked the third anniversary of the January 8, 2023 attacks, a critical moment in the attempted coup d’état being judged by the Brazilian Supreme Court. On that day, supporters of then former president Jair Bolsonaro invaded and vandalized the National Congress, the Planalto presidential palace, and the Supreme Court in Brasília.

For the president of the Unified Workers’ Central of the state of Rio de Janeiro (CUT-RJ), Sandro César, the date symbolizes the need for permanent vigilance.

“This act marks another year since the unspeakable movement carried out by coup plotters in Brazil to debase Brazilian democracy and overthrow the Democratic Rule of Law. It is something we thought was distant, but it has happened again in Brazil,” said César.
He also highlighted the role of the convictions as a historical example.

“The former president imprisoned, coup-plotting generals imprisoned, and those involved in the coup imprisoned. This is what should happen when the Constitution of the Republic is violated in an attempt to debase it and to break the constitutional, republican, and democratic pact of Brazil. It is an important lesson so that future generations may never again imagine or attempt to do something like this,” added the union leader.

The president of the Rio de Janeiro Bank Workers Union (Seeb/Rio), José Ferreira, criticized any initiative to pardon those involved.

“We cannot accept amnesty for the coup plotters, nor this strategy they claim is not amnesty - the recalculation of sentences - which is nothing more than a generic form of amnesty. Lula vetoed the bill, but it will return to Congress, and we need to take to the streets to pressure parliament against this benefit for those who want to steal democracy,” Ferreira noted.

João Pedro, a militant of the Juntos youth movement (anti-fascist, anti-capitalist, and eco-socialist) and of the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL-RJ), emphasized the importance of continuous mobilization.

“On this important date, we remember the need to always remain mobilized. We need to be attentive to the constant attacks from the far right that we have been experiencing,” said the militant.

“It is essential to start the year with mobilization. It is necessary to resist, but also to present an alternative to the crisis, to show that it is possible to build another society and to overcome the horizons that are set for us today,” he added.

January 8

Three years ago, thousands of protesters marched through the Esplanade of Ministries, broke through police blockades, and attacked the headquarters of the Three Powers, demanding the overthrow of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who had been democratically elected and sworn in just a week earlier.

Three years later, the Supreme Court had convicted 1,399 people involved in the coup attempts. The data were updated on Monday (5) by the office of Justice Alexandre de Moraes, rapporteur of the cases. According to the report, 179 people are in prison, 114 of them serving sentences in a closed regime after the final judgment of their convictions. Another 50 are under house arrest, and 15 are in preventive detention.

The convictions include former President Jair Bolsonaro and 28 former members of his government, held responsible for planning a coup attempt to prevent Lula’s inauguration. Among those imprisoned are also five former members of the top brass of the Military Police of the Federal District, convicted of omission for allowing protesters access to the Three Powers Square.

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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received a phone call from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday afternoon (Jan. 8). According to the Planalto  presidential palace, the two leaders exchanged views on the situation in Venezuela and its impact on the region.

“Both condemned the use of force without support from the United Nations Charter and international law. Lula stressed that the fate of Venezuela must be decided sovereignly by its people and that South America must remain a zone of peace,” the Planalto said in a statement.

According to the note, the president and prime minister agreed on the need to reform global governance institutions.

Last Saturday (3), a military invasion by the US resulted in the kidnapping of the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cília Flores.

During the call, the Canadian accepted Lula’s invitation to visit Brazil in April. Among the topics to be discussed is the progress of a possible trade deal between Mercosur and Canada.

Earlier, President Lula also spoke by phone with Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Mexico

In his conversation with the Mexican leader, Lula also addressed the issue of Venezuela, and both defended multilateralism, repudiated the US military invasion, and challenged the view that attempts to divide the world into spheres of influence of major powers. Lula and Sheinbaum also discussed preparations for a visit by the Mexican leader to Brazil, with no date set yet, and cooperation between the countries in combating violence against women.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received a phone call from Colombian President Gustavo Petro on the afternoon of Thursday (Jan. 8), the Planalto presidential palace reported. The conversation focused on the situation in Venezuela, which was the target of a US military invasion last Saturday (Jan. 3), resulting in the kidnapping of the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores.

“Both leaders expressed great concern about the use of force against a South American country, in violation of international law, the Charter of the United Nations, and the sovereignty of Venezuela, and stressed that such actions constitute an extremely dangerous precedent for regional peace and security and for the international order,” the Planalto highlighted in a statement.

During the call, Lula and Petro welcomed the announcement by Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez regarding the release of national and foreign prisoners detained in the country.

President Lula informed Petro that, at Venezuela’s request, he had ordered the shipment of 40 tons of supplies and medicines, out of a total of 300 tons already collected, to replenish stocks of dialysis products and solutions at a supply center hit by US bombings on Saturday.

Brazil and Colombia share the longest land borders with Venezuela, each extending over 2 000 kilometers.

The Colombian leader spoke yesterday (7) with US President Donald Trump, following threats and unfounded accusations made by the American leader against Petro.

The Brazilian government, through the Ministry of Health, announced on Thursday (Jan. 8) that it will send 100 tons of medicines and other health supplies to Venezuela. The measure aims to support the population of the neighboring country, which suffered a military attack by the United States last Saturday (Jan. 3) that resulted in the capture of the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores.

The American military action in Caracas destroyed Venezuela’s largest medicine distribution center. In the first shipment, Brazil will send 40 tons of medicines to prioritize the needs of approximately 16,000 patients who require hemodialysis and would otherwise be left without assistance.

“This donation does not affect the structure or assistance provided to the approximately 170,000 patients currently undergoing dialysis in Brazil’s public healthcare network, the SUS. We have secure stocks and can show solidarity with our neighboring country. We cannot forget that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Venezuela provided us with 130,000 cubic meters of oxygen to treat our citizens, in the face of a crisis caused by mismanagement by the previous government,” highlighted Health Minister Alexandre Padilha.

In a letter sent to Venezuelan Health Minister Magaly Gutiérrez, Padilha reinforced the Brazilian government’s support for guaranteeing healthcare assistance to Venezuelans, especially dialysis patients, affected by the destruction of the medicine distribution center.

The supplies to be sent to Venezuela were secured through donations from university and philanthropic hospitals across Brazil. They are part of a strategic and essential set of materials. The neighboring country, with which Brazil shares a border of more than one thousand kilometers, will receive medications for continuous use, filters, arterial and venous lines, catheters, and solutions for hemodialysis treatment.

The 100 tons of donations will be stored at the Ministry of Health’s Distribution Center for Supplies and Medications, located in Guarulhos, in São Paulo state, until they are fully dispatched.