November 1, 2022

11:11

Marcela Leiros – Amazon Agency

MANAUS – After the result of the counting of electronic ballots have given victory to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), this Sunday, 30, supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in Manaus convene riots and call for military intervention in the country. AMAZON AGENCY had access to three groups on the WhatsApp application, in which supporters shared messages about fraud in the elections and advocate the return of military dictatorship.

At least three groups concentrate more than 700 supporters. They are “Vem Pra Rua Manaus” (Come to Street Manaus), “Exército Nas Ruas Manaus” (Army in the Streets Manaus) and “Parou Manaus” (Stopped Manaus). “We need to schedule an urgent national demonstration! Maybe the military and even JB [Jair Bolsonaro] are just waiting for a convinced popular outcry of their petitions just like in 64! Communism no! Military intervention now! To act!”, says one of the members of the group “Vem Pra Rua Manaus”.

Read also: In victory speech, Lula emphasizes Amazon preservation and says he will resume monitoring and surveillance

In the same group, another member says that the ballot boxes have been rigged and refers to the Judiciary as “rotten Justice”. “The ballot boxes, as always, were rigged. Don’t accept blaming the people. By blaming the people, we give legitimacy to this rotten Justice and to the ballot boxes. Let’s go after those who are really to blame, the Brazilian Justice”, claims the Bolsonarist.

In the group “Exército Nas Ruas Manaus”, some members urge the use of violence in the demonstrations, but others ask the protesters to act with pacifism. “Peaceful form will not get the attention of the military”, replies one person.

Manifestations

Two demonstrations were already being organized on Monday, 31, in Manaus, as ways to support President Jair Bolsonaro. The first planned concentration at noon, in the Ponta Negra Tourist Complex, West of the capital, the other concentrated truckers and drivers on BR-174, North zone, which connects Manaus to the state of Roraima. The highway was partially blocked due to a line of trucks, buses and passenger cars, but was soon released by the police.

In videos shared in WhatsApp groups, protesters stacked vehicle tires in the middle of the track, in protest.

Watch the video:

In a statement, the Department of Public Safety of the Amazon (SSP-AM) said teams were in a stretch of the Federal Highway BR-174 to monitor the activity of protesters. The body said that the action was monitored by agents of the Federal Highway Police (PRF) and, by early afternoon, the supporters left the site “without record of any damage”.

Rupture

The electoral lawyer Thiago Santos Bianchi recalled that the military intervention is a rupture of the democratic rule of law, an unconstitutional, illegal act. The lawyer cites two articles of the Brazilian Penal Code that deal with the violent abolition of the Democratic State of Law.

They are Art. 359-L, about “Trying, by using violence or serious threat, to abolish the Democratic State of Law, preventing or restricting the exercise of constitutional powers. The penalty is four to eight years, in addition to the penalty corresponding to the violence.

And Article 359-M, which legislates “To attempt to depose, by means of violence or grave threat, the legitimately constituted government”. The penalty is confinement, from four to 12 years, in addition to the penalty corresponding to violence.

Denise Coelho, also an election lawyer, reinforces that anyone who advocates military intervention can be punished, as well as anyone who spreads fake news. “Any demonstration exalting an attack on the Branches of Power, such as the STF, or explicitly exalting a military coup is punishable. Yes, it is possible that these protesters will be held legally responsible”, he explained.

“The crime of fake news must be represented at the TRE [Regional Electoral Court] or TSE [Superior Electoral Court] for the person to answer for the crime”, added Denise.

Intolerance

The political scientist and lawyer Manoel Moraes added that the demonstrations that take place this Monday, 31, throughout the country, are still results of a heated process of intolerance against democratic institutions. But, even with the scenario, the jurist defends that the elections were clean and that the democratic institutions have become stronger, even after the attacks.

“The result of the election was extremely expressive, the electronic ballot boxes once again showed the guarantee of a transparent, auditable election, with a totally safe methodology”, said Manoel. “I don’t see any attempt at a coup, any attempt at a democratic threat. I repeat: the institutions in Brazil came out of this election strengthened“, he concluded.