Criticizing the Intelligence Services Regarding the Brasilia Raid, President Lula: Nobody Warned Me

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio CLA da Silva at the inauguration last week. (Source: Twitter/@LulaOficial/ricardos stuckert)

JAKARTA - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva delivered a scathing criticism of the country's intelligence agency, judging it to be a failure in connection with the storming of government buildings in Brasilia by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro on January 8.

The new remarks come after President Lula previously criticized the military, with the commander-in-chief condemning it in recent days for failing to act against Bolsonaro supporters who rioted.

"We made a fundamental mistake: my intelligence was not there (that day)," President Lula told TV channel GloboNews in an interview.

"We have Army intelligence, Air Force intelligence, ABIN (Brazilian Intelligence Agency); nobody warned me," he criticized.

President Lula has previously said he suspects collusion by "people in the armed forces" in the uprising, in which several thousand Bolsonaro supporters stormed and ransacked the Congress building, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court.

"I had the impression it was the start of a coup," President Lula said of the unrest.

The president stressed he wanted to maintain good relations with Brazil's armed forces, but noted they should not be politicized.

This weekend, President Lula is set to hold a meeting with the commanders of the Brazilian Army, Navy and Air Force.

"I don't want any problems with the security forces, and neither do they with me. But those who wish to enter politics must take off their uniforms, resign from their positions and then enter politics," said President Lula.

Earlier this week, President Lula sacked more than 50 military officers guarding the presidential residence and the office of the National Security Adviser, expressing distrust in them after the Brasilia uprising.

In the interview, President Lula reiterated that he would meet US President Joe Biden in Washington on February 10, after receiving an invitation when the leaders of the two countries discussed the Brasilia riots over the phone.

Previously, the storming of the capital Brasilia by supporters of former President Bolsonaro was said to be similar to the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol Hill by supporters of former President Donald Trump.

"I want to discuss with President Biden how democracy works in the world, what's going on here and there," President Lula explained, adding he would also ask the Democratic president how he deals with the forces of right-wing forces.

In addition, President Lula said he will also meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Brazil later this month.