The Minister of Justice and Public Security, Flávio Dino, said, in a press conference just now, that the Government of the Federal District (GDF) changed, at the last minute, guidelines hitherto agreed with the Federal Government on planning in order to guarantee the security at the Esplanada dos Ministérios this Sunday (8) when the headquarters of the Three Powers were invaded and vandalized by terrorists unhappy with the result of the last elections.
According to the minister, the apology made by the governor of the DF, Ibaneis Rocha, makes clear the responsibility of the local government for what happened. “Today we had a serious attempt to destroy the democratic state of law”, said the minister when listing some types of crimes committed by terrorists, whose sentences can reach 12 years.
Flávio Dino detailed how the preparations were made aiming at the security of the area, which was based on the constitutional responsibilities of the GDF, which is responsible for taking care of the security of the Esplanada dos Ministérios, as well as the Praça dos Três Poderes, where the offices of the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary.
“There were even bilateral meetings, in which the GDF stated that the preparation it was responsible for, guaranteeing public order, was adequate. Despite this understanding, we had a change of administrative orientation yesterday, in which the planning, which did not allow people to enter the esplanade, was changed at the last minute. Even so, on the part of the GDF, there was a view that this situation would be under control”, added the minister.
The minister said that the change in planning had not been informed by the GDF. “I heard from the press that there would have been a change of orientation. I immediately questioned authorities [locais de segurança] and Governor Ibaneis Rocha. He said it didn’t feel right, and the answer I got was that everything would be smooth and under control. I had no more information because, as there was no federal intervention yet, there was administrative autonomy”.
“Governor Ibaneis, by making an apology to the heads of the Union powers, is acknowledging that something went wrong in this planning. I believe he will investigate who has not fulfilled their constitutional duty”, he added. In Flávio Dino’s assessment, someone from the GDF misanalyzed the situation or provided the governor with wrong information. “But we raised the alarm,” he said.
According to the minister, approximately 200 people were arrested in flagrante delicto, a number that could be even higher since the situation in flagrante delicto can also occur after the criminal act. He added that 40 buses have already been seized and that others may be seized on the highways, since there is already an articulation with governors of other states.
Also according to the minister, the intervenor scheduled for security in the DF, Ricardo Cappelli, has already met with high-ranking military personnel from the Ministry of Defense and tomorrow (9) he should present a file to the portfolio asking for the assignment of military personnel to support efforts to safety.
“It is necessary to say fully, with all firmness and conviction: they will not be able to destroy Brazilian democracy”, he concluded.
Secretary of Institutional Relations of the Presidency of the Republic, Antônio Padilha, said he had been informed that there were, in the invasions, terrorists with the intention of placing and leaving explosive devices and bombs in the buildings of the Three Powers “to affect even more people”.
“We are now going to collect material evidence aiming at criminal responsibility. We know that the objective of those who financed these acts was not just to plunder, but to mobilize other acts across the country, in order to make a coup possible that did not recognize the electoral process. We are going after those who finance terrorism in our country, ”he declared.
