When commenting on operation launched this Tuesday (19) by the Federal Police (PF)the Minister of the Social Communication Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, Paulo Pimenta, assessed that the plan to assassinate President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) Alexandre de Moraes “ it just didn’t happen because of the details.”
“We are talking about a concrete, objective action, which brings new, extremely serious elements, regarding the participation of people from the government’s power core. [Jair] Bolsonaro in the coup they tried to carry out in Brazil, preventing the elected president and vice-president from taking office”, he said, when talking to the press during the G 20 program, in Rio de Janeiro.
“Do you remember that, during this period, there was an attempt to truck explosion near the airport [de Brasília]. All of this ended up culminating on January 8th. These are facts that are related to each other, the characters are the same, the same characters who financed the presence of those camped in front of the barracks are also involved in these episodes.”
“THE individual who died in Brasilia was camped in front of the barracks. The people who participated in the attempted truck explosion at the airport were also there. So, there is a relationship between the financiers, those who planned the criminal actions. They need to answer for this and this Federal Police operation today is very important.”
black kids
Pimenta also commented on the participation of so-called black kids (members of the Army’s special forces) in plans to attempt a coup d’état. “What is known is that there was a plan to be executed on December 15th and that its objective was to directly attack the lives of President Lula and the vice-president. They talked about the ticket, about attacking the ticket, so both President Lula and Minister Alckmin were targets.”
“There was clearly a concern on the part of the criminals to carry out this action before taking office. Initially, they intended to carry out the action before the diploma. As the diplomaization took place on the 12th, they planned the criminal action for the 15th. And they also had the objective of kidnapping and murdering Minister Alexandre de Moraes, president of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).”
“We consider that this episode, this investigation by the Federal Police, brings new elements to the issue of the attempted coup that took place in the country. We are talking about generals, active colonels, members of the Federal Police. There are very concrete elements that, in fact, there was a plan to, on December 15th, directly reach the president of the Republic, the vice-president and minister Alexandre de Moraes”, said Pimenta.
The PF confirmed that five people under investigation were arrested this Tuesday. Based on the decision of Minister Alexandre de Moraes, who ordered the arrests, they are: Lieutenant Colonel Hélio Ferreira de Lima, who, in his resume on social media, mentions participation in the Army’s special operations course; retired general Mário Fernandes, who held positions in the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic; lieutenant colonel Rafael Martins de Oliveira; federal police officer Wladimir Matos Soares; officer Rodrigo Bezerra Azevedo, who, in his resume on social media, also mentions participation in the Army’s special operations course.
Amnesty
For Pimenta, the Federal Police investigation “ends up putting to rest” the speech that the people who participated in the 8th of January did so “in a democratic way, protesting”.
“What happened was an attempted coup d’état, with the participation of people directly linked to the former president,” he said.
“This general [alvo da operação da PF] He was executive secretary of the Government Secretariat, therefore, he worked within the Palácio do Planalto. These colonels [também alvos da operação] They are from a very sensitive area of the Brazilian Army, special operations. And this investigation needs to be taken to its ultimate consequences so that all those who attack democracy are identified and paid for this crime.”
“Society definitely needs to understand that a crime against democracy is something that cannot be tolerated. That’s why we can’t talk about amnesty and we can’t talk about impunity”, concluded the minister.
Asked about the presence of some of those investigated in the security scheme of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, Pimenta assessed that “there is no risk”. “In reality, the Federal Police, the Army, State bodies have their own internal procedures and protocols. This is how they integrate and participate in government actions, including this action that concerns the G20”.
Army
In a statement, the Army Command confirmed that four military personnel, three active and one reserve, were preventively arrested in Operation Countercoup: reserve general Mário Fernandes and lieutenant colonels Hélio Ferreira Lima; Rafael Martins de Oliveira and Rodrigo Bezerra Azevedo.
According to the Army, Lima, Oliveira and Azevedo do not participate in the Law and Order Guarantee (GLO) operation on the occasion of the G20 Summit.
“General Mário Fernandes and Lieutenant Colonel Hélio Ferreira Lima were in Rio de Janeiro to participate in course completion ceremonies for family and friends. Lieutenant Colonel Rodrigo Bezerra de Azevedo went to the garrison, on duty, to participate in other activities and was not part of the personnel employed in the GLO operation. Lieutenant Colonel Rafael Martins De Oliveira was already away from service due to precautionary measures determined by the Courts,” the Army informed.
* Lucas Pordeus León and Alex Rodrigues collaborated
** Article changed at 12:27 pm to add the Army note
