Brazil police finds decree about election overturn at house of Bolsonaro's ex-minister

Brazil’s federal police that carried out a search and arrest warrant at the house of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro’s justice minister on Tuesday discovered a draft decree that proposed the implementation of a “state of defense” to overturn the election victory of incumbent president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

According to a statement provided by Justice Ministry spokeswoman Lorena Ribeiro to CNN, the document was discovered at the residence of Anderson Torres, who served in the Bolsonaro administration. However, the spokeswoman revealed that the draft was not signed by the former president.

In the wake of the revelation, Torres clarified in a statement on social media that he did not author the decree. “As Minister of Justice, we are faced with hearings, suggestions, and proposals of the most diverse types. In my house there was a pile of documents to be discarded, where most likely the material described in the article was found. Everything would be taken to be shredded at the Ministry of Justice in due course,” he wrote.

Furthermore, he alleged that the document had been leaked intentionally to tarnish his image. “The cited document was picked up when I wasn’t there and leaked out of context, helping to fuel fallacious narratives against me. We were the first ministry to deliver management reports for the transition (of power). I respect Brazilian democracy. I have a clear conscience regarding my role as minister,” he added. Torres’ successor Flavio Dino said on Thursday that the mere existence of the draft was “appalling” and “unconstitutional.”

Lula wary of staff after attack on presidential palace 

Meanwhile, Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva alleged that the mob of Bolsonaro supporters that stormed his presidential palace last week was helped by pro-Bolsonaro staff to enter the democratic institution. In the wake of the incident, Lula vowed to deeply scrutinize and carry out a “thorough screening” of employees at the palace.

“I am waiting for the dust to settle. I want to see all of the [security] tapes that were recorded inside the supreme court, congress and the Planalto presidential palace,” Lula said on Thursday, according to The Guardian. “[But] many people were complicit in this … many people in the military police were complicit. There were many people in the armed forces here inside [the palace] who were complicit,” he added.