The governor of the Federal District, Ibaneis Rocha, said today (16) that the draft of a possible presidential decree seized in the house of the former Minister of Justice and Public Security of the Bolsonaro government, Anderson Torres, reveals that “someone” came to plan a coup d’etat.
“Regardless of not having anyone’s signature, the document reveals that, at some point, someone thought of carrying out a coup in Brazil. It reveals that someone had the intention of striking a blow [de Estado]”, declared Ibaneis in his first press conference after the Minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) Alexandre de Moraes authorized him to resume office.
The governor spent 64 days away from the command of the district executive branch. The removal was determined by Moraes after January 8, when vandals and coup plotters invaded and destroyed the Planalto Palace, the National Congress and the Supreme Court building.
Initially, Moraes ordered Ibaneis to remain away from the Federal District government for 90 days so as not to interfere with investigations into the responsibilities of public authorities regarding the anti-democratic acts of January 8. Despite this, yesterday (15), Moraes himself authorized Ibaneis to resume the post.
Former minister Anderson Torres, who took over the Public Security Secretariat of the Federal District on January 2, is arrested since the 14th of January. His detention was also authorized by Moraes, at the request of the Federal Police (PF), who accused him, already as district secretary, of having been silent and facilitating the anti-democratic acts of January 8. The draft of the decree cited by Ibaneis was found at Torres’ house by federal police officers who were serving a search and seizure warrant. If put into practice, the measure would make it possible for the result of the last presidential elections to be invalidated. In testimony, Torres disqualified the document, saying that its content does not have “legal viability”. He also assured the PF that he does not know who wrote the text, which he received when Minister of Justice.
“Anderson Torres was my Security Secretary between 2019 and 2021. He is a person who enjoys my confidence. He came. And when the [ex-]President Bolsonaro lost the election, I understood that he would be a good person to return to the government of the Federal District”, said Ibaneis, explaining the reason for having invited Torres to resume the Public Security Secretariat after the end of the Bolsonaro administration.
“Now, what happened on the 8th of January is an unpredictable thing. Until the 6th of January, we had no perspective that this was going to happen. The buses started to arrive at DF on the 6th and 7th [de janeiro]. We had all that trouble, but in my view it wasn’t Anderson’s fault. I think it was a group”, added the governor, minimizing the responsibility of the then District Security Secretary who, on the eve of the attacks on public buildings, traveled to the United States on vacation.
Although he had been at the head of the portfolio for just five days, Torres had already made a series of changes to public security command posts. Despite this, for Ibaneis, what happened that day when thousands of people advanced on public buildings in front of an insufficient number of public agents was a “general blackout” that even affected troops under the command of the federal government.
The governor of the DF, Ibaneis Rocha, during a press conference to talk about his return to the government following a determination by Minister Alexandre de Moraes – Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil
“What happened was a general blackout. I myself received messages from the Acting Secretary of Public Security [Fernando de Sousa Oliveira] saying that things were extremely smooth. There were failures of the Military Police. At the Planalto Palace, which has a battalion at its disposal, there was total relaxation. The National Public Security Force also did not act. There were several failures together, and the ongoing investigations will investigate all of this”, emphasized Ibaneis.
The governor also recalled that, after the riot that occurred on December 12, when protesters tried to invade the headquarters of the Federal Police, in the center of Brasília, the government of the Federal District tried to demobilize the camp set up in front of the Headquarters of the Army, in Brasília, where part of the people who later participated in the depredation of public buildings were concentrated.
“At least twice we tried to get protesters out of the door of the Army HQ. As on December 12th they had already burned buses and done what they did, we knew that it was a powder keg, but both times we were stopped by the Army Command”, guaranteed Ibaneis. “Still, on the 8th of January, the information I had was that things were peaceful. That’s why I couldn’t have another posture. Today, looking back, it is easy to assess that something different could have been done, but I did what was within my competence, based on the information I had at the time.”
About his departure, Ibaneis said that they were very difficult days, but that he understands that they were necessary. “It is with great joy that I return to the Palácio do Buriti. I received the decision to leave with respect, patience and I went through this period with complete resilience. I have no hurt, grudge or anger towards anyone. And, although I took a big scare, I understood the reaction of Minister Alexandre de Moraes. What happened on January 8th was very serious and [a decisão de Moraes] it was necessary”.
