Fatality Reported Following Assault on Brazil’s Supreme Court

An individual attempting an assault on Brazil’s Supreme Court in Brasilia, the capital, on Wednesday evening, passed away after seemingly detonating explosives he possessed. Authorities identified the man as Francisco Wanderley Luiz, who had previously run unsuccessfully in council elections representing the Liberal Party (PL) of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Witnesses reported hearing two blasts approximately at 19:30 local time (22:30 GMT), with the latter explosion thought to be the cause of Luiz’s death. Officials confirmed that no other individuals sustained injuries during the event. The blasts generated significant concern due to their location on Praça dos Três Poderes, the central square in the capital housing the Supreme Court, the presidential palace, and Congress. This same Praça dos Três Poderes had experienced widespread unrest in January 2023, when supporters of Jair Bolsonaro vandalized the structures shortly after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva assumed office. Brazil’s solicitor general, Jorge Messias, characterized the Wednesday occurrence as a premeditated assault. Law enforcement stated that the initial explosion originated from a vehicle owned by Luiz. Soon after, a security guard observed a man with a rucksack covering a statue depicting the Lady of Justice, positioned in front of the Supreme Court building, with a cloth. The guard recounted that upon his approach, the man unbuttoned his shirt, exposing what seemed to be explosives fastened to his torso. As per the security guard’s account, the man threw an object at the building, then reclined on the ground, and seemingly activated an explosive device positioned beneath his neck. Military police personnel securing the site reported that the man “had apparently taken his own life with explosives.” Canine units trained for detection and bomb disposal robots were deployed to ensure the safety of the vicinity, and the Supreme Court premises were promptly evacuated. Local news outlets indicated that President Lula had departed the area a brief time prior to the explosions. Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski announced that police are probing the potential motive for the assault, which took place merely days before Brazil is slated to host the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro and a planned visit to Brasilia by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Authorities have subsequently disclosed that Luiz was 59 years old and hailed from Rio do Sul, located in the southern Santa Catarina state, where he had contested as a councillor for the Liberal Party in 2020, securing only 98 votes. The incident drew widespread condemnation, including from members of the Liberal Party. Fabio Wajngarten, an adviser to Jair Bolsonaro, posted on X: “There are crazy people everywhere, across all political spectrums, supporters of all teams, of all beliefs and religions.” Bolsonaro himself urged for an “environment of unity,” stating that Brazil needed to “once again cultivate an environment suitable for different ideas to confront each other peacefully.” Celina Leão, Brasilia’s Deputy Governor, suggested Luiz “could have been a lone wolf, like others we’ve seen around the world” but affirmed that police would conduct a comprehensive inquiry.