Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva rejects bill passed by congress as he marks anniversary of 2023 Brasília riots
Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has vetoed a bill that would dramatically reduce the prison sentence of the country’s far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted last year of plotting a coup.
Lula vetoed the bill, which was passed by congress in December, on the third anniversary of riots by Bolsonaro supporters in the capital, Brasília, over his defeat by Lula in the 2022 general election.
In scenes reminiscent of the 2021 US Capitol riots, thousands of demonstrators ransacked government buildings in Brasília on 8 January 2023, a week after Lula’s inauguration for a third term, and called on Brazil’s military to overthrow him.
“January 8th is etched in our history as the day of our democracy’s victory,” Lula said on Thursday at the presidential palace, which was one of the buildings targeted by rioters.
