The police in Brazil have confirmed the arrest of a man after he allegedly placed explosives in a fuel truck near Brasilia’s airport, hoping to sow ‘chaos’ ahead of president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s inauguration, local media reported Sunday.
The man, named as George Washington de Oliveira Sousa, was detained on Saturday on suspicion of supporting Brazil’s outgoing far-right president Jair Bolsonaro. He was charged with terrorism.
The gadget was discovered by the truck’s driver early on Saturday in the capital city, where Lula will be sworn in on January 1. The arrest followed.
According to the news portal G1, Robson Candido, the general delegate of the civil police in Brasilia, stated at a press conference that the device was attempted to be activated but did not explode.
According to remarks made by the civil police and reported in local media, Oliveira Sousa admitted to the authorities that the bomb was a component of a scheme to ‘create turmoil’ and ‘block the emergence of communism in Brazil.’
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He said the idea was hatched with other Bolsonaro supporters who have been protesting outside the army headquarters in Brasilia, calling for a military intervention to prevent Lula from assuming power.
The goal, Oliveira Sousa told police, was to place at least two explosives in strategic locations, with an aim of initiating a “declaration of a state of siege in the country” and from there “provoking an intervention by the armed forces,” Brazilian daily Folha de Sao Paulo reported.
Bolsonaro supporters blocked highways and demonstrated in front of army barracks around the country following Lula’s win in the October 30 presidential runoff.
Nearly two months later, there are still camps in front of some military bases.
Police said they found an arsenal of weapons in the apartment of Oliveira Sousa, who works at a service station in the northern state of Para.
Oliveira Sousa said he was inspired to acquire the weapons “by President Bolsonaro’s words,” and had a cache worth about 160,000 reales ($31,000), according to Folha de Sao Paulo.
Bolsonaro, a strong supporter of gun rights, has previously stated that “an armed people will never be enslaved.”
According to statements, Oliveira Sousa had planned to distribute the weapons among those camping in front of barracks, the paper said.
Lula, a 77-year-old leftist who already served as president of Brazil from 2003 to 2010, will assume power for the third time with a grand inauguration in Brasilia.
Bolsonaro, 67, has meanwhile maintained an extremely low profile since his election loss, with limited public appearances.
On Christmas Eve, he rode his motorcycle for the first time since his defeat and chatted with supporters.