Brazil's military police increases security for Lula after bomb threat
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A suspect alleged to be a supporter of President Jair Bolsonaro confessed he intended to carry out an attack at the airport and was arrested.
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Brazil's incoming President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
Brazil's incoming Justice Minister, Flavio Dino, said on Monday that the country will review the procedures for strengthening the security measures for incoming President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s inauguration scheduled on January 1st next year.
All procedures in the inauguration, set for January 1, "will be reassessed, with a view to strengthen security," said Flavio Dino on his Twitter account on Sunday.
The announcement comes in light of recent bomb threats that were divulged when the military police disarmed an explosive near the capital Brasilia's international airport on Saturday.
"President Lula’s inauguration will take place in peace,” Dino said. “Democracy has won and will win."
According to the civil police, the explosive was found inside a fuel truck.
A suspect alleged to be a supporter of President Jair Bolsonaro confessed he intended to carry out an attack at the airport and was arrested.
"The fight against terrorists and rioters will be intensified," Dino said.
A posse do presidente Lula ocorrerá em paz. Todos os procedimentos serão reavaliados, visando ao fortalecimento da segurança. E o combate aos terroristas e arruaceiros será intensificado. A democracia venceu e vencerá.
— Flávio Dino 🇧🇷 (@FlavioDino) December 25, 2022
On December 13, sources reported that officials ordered a major venue to close down as a preventive measure, revealing that security was being reinforced at the hotel where Lula was staying.
Rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took the win in the runoff elections on October 30, and after Bolsonaro mysteriously disappeared for weeks, he said, "I've been silent for practically 40 days. It hurts, it hurts my soul. I have always been a happy person among you, even risking my life among the people."
In response to his defeat, his supporters not only blocked main roads but set up protests in front of military barracks in an attempt to influence the military into preventing Lula from taking office on January 1, which is when Bolsonaro will step down.
According to reports, Bolsonaro is planning on traveling on inauguration day to avoid passing the sash to his leftist successor. He not only went dark on media platforms, which he was known to be very active on, but he also began skipping official duties like the G20 summit that took place in Bali in November, while leaving his VP to carry out routine tasks like accepting new ambassadors' credentials.
Following the win, Lula began forming the government by appointing former Sao Paulo mayor Fernando Haddad as the country's Finance Minister.
Read more: Shortly before leaving, Bolsonaro gives way out to convicted officers
