According to a survey by the Datafolha Institute, 55 percent of Brazilians blame defeated President Jair Bolsonaro for the acts of vandalism in Brasilia on Sunday.
The survey also shows that 93 percent of respondents condemned the Jan. 8 attack by radical ex-military supporters on the three branches of the state, and only 10 percent supported the anti-democratic actions.
Extremist Bolsonaro groups (supporters of the former army captain) violently broke into and looted the headquarters of the National Congress, the Supreme Court and the Planalto Palace, the bastion of the executive branch.
The terrorists smashed windows and furniture, damaged works of art and historical objects, destroyed documents and stole weapons.
Just 3 percent, a percentage rising to 10 among Bolsonaro supporters, approve of attacking these institutions and military intervention to remove President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from power.
Likewise, 77 percent of respondents believe those involved in the coup actions will be held accountable in court, and 42 percent expect the attackers to face harsh punishment, while 35 percent expect a light sentence.
The survey was conducted on mobile phones between January 10 and 11 among 1,214 respondents across the country, with an error rate of more or less three percentage points.
Due to events unprecedented in Brazilian history, Lula ordered a federal intervention in the federal district’s public safety.
Approved by both chambers (deputies and senate) in Parliament, the matter now moves on to promulgation. In practice, with the validations, Congress will ratify the measure according to the President’s proposal by January 31st.
The provision is provided for in Article 34 of the Federal Constitution in order to “put an end to the serious impairment of public order” and “to ensure the free exercise of all powers in the federal units”.
The government also decided to strengthen security across the nation after right-wing extremists called for new demonstrations.
Civil House Minister Rui Costa specified that the reinforcements were determined by the Crisis Cabinet set up by the Lula government to monitor and anticipate possible criminal acts against democracy.
The security chief of Brasilia, Ricardo Cappelli, ruled out that there could be renewed vandalism and violence in the capital.