Brazilian Supreme Court Explosion Claims Life of Man attempting Entry
The explosions in Brasília occurred just days before G20 leaders are scheduled to meet in the capital.
Authorities stated that a man attempting to break into Brazil’s Supreme Court was killed in a series of explosions outside the courthouse in Brasília on Nov. 13.
Two powerful blasts shook the capital around 7:30 p.m. after the day’s session had ended and all judges and staff had left the building, according to a statement from the court.
The explosions took place about 20 seconds apart in Brasília’s Three Powers Plaza, which houses the Congress, presidential palace, and the Supreme Court.
According to a police report seen by Reuters, the man was identified as Francisco Wanderley Luiz, 59, a former city council candidate from former President Jair Bolsonaro’s party. Electoral records show that Luiz lost in a city council race in Rio do Sul, Santa Catarina, in 2020.
The police report mentioned that Luiz threw an object at the court building causing no damage, and then proceeded to detonate a homemade bomb on the ground in an apparent suicide attempt. He was wearing a green jacket and pants with playing card symbols.
The incident occurred just five days before the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, followed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to Brasília.
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Prior to the identification of the suspect, Celina Leão, the lieutenant governor of Brazil’s federal district, stated that he had previously detonated explosives in a car in a Congress parking lot.
No injuries were reported in that incident.
Leão mentioned at a press conference, “It could have been a lone wolf, like others we’ve seen around the world. We are considering it as a suicide because there was only one victim. But investigations will show if that was indeed the case.”
Leão advised that Congress be closed on Nov. 14 to mitigate potential risks.
The Senate complied with her recommendation, and the lower house will be shut until midday on Thursday, confirmed speaker Arthur Lira.
Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known as “Lula,” was not at the presidential palace at the time, his spokesman confirmed.
The spokesman added that Lula was meeting with Federal Police Chief Andrei Rodrigues and Supreme Court Justices Alexandre de Moraes and Cristiano Zanin at the presidential residence on the evening of Nov. 13.
Following the explosions, police officers cordoned off the area, and the presidential security bureau conducted a sweep around the presidential palace and its vicinity.
As of now, no motive for the attack has been disclosed to the public.
In recent years, Brazil’s Supreme Court has faced criticism from some within the country, with certain Bolsonaro supporters believing the justices are biased against the former president, particularly de Moraes.
De Moraes, the nation’s top judge, was involved in the contentious ban of X in Brazil, citing the spread of “disinformation” via the platform.
The ban on X was lifted last month after the platform paid fines and agreed to appoint a local representative as per Brazilian law.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
