Police investigate attack on ex-President Lula’s bus caravan

The police have opened an inquiry into the attack on former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s bus caravan. According to public security authorities in Paraná state, where the incident took place, two teams from the police special operations center were sent to the city of Laranjeiras do Sul to conduct the probes.

Two buses were hit yesterday (Mar. 27) by at least three gunshots when Lula’s tour buses were on the way from Quedas do Iguaçu to Laranjeiras do Sul. One of the vehicles carried members of the press; the other, guests. Lula was in neither of the two. No one was hurt.

The state forensics institute is said to be conducting the final examinations on the buses. A report should be drafted in the coming days. The authorities further announced that “the policing scheme has been intensified in all of the places named by the people taking part on the bus tour where rallies were slated to be held and attended by the former president.”

Response

On one of his Twitter's account, Brazil’s onetime leader said that actions like these will not intimidate him. “If they think they can scare me doing that, they’re wrong. It motivates us. We cannot tolerate that, after the Nazis, these fascist groups can do what they please. If they want a fight, fight with me on the ballot. Let’s all respect democracy, being together in diversity,” he stated.

The ex-president also used Twitter to complain that the state of Paraná failed to escort his tour buses. The state officials replied by saying no such request had been made.

Government

The Ministry of Public Security reported that the Federal Highway Police has guided traffic, but added that ensuring security is under the responsibility of the state’s police forces.

Yesterday, Brazil’s Public Security Minister Raul Jungmann told the press he has been in contact with the Federal Highway Police. “Clashes cannot be accepted. This is anti-democratic, and we should do something about it. Perpetrators should be identified and held accountable,” he said.

Reactions

In an interview granted today (28), President Michel Temer regretted the assault. “It’s a shame that this happened, because it creates an atmosphere of  instability in the country, a feeling of lack of peacefulness, which is crucial at moment like this,” he said.

Lower house speaker Rodrigo Maia condemned the act of violence. “What happened to former President Lula is extremely serious. Not just the gunshots fired at the bus, which marked the end of a few days of outrageous incidents, an attempt to stop the ex-president from rallying support.”

Impeached President Dilma Rousseff described the attempt to stop Lula as “unacceptable.” “We’re no longer in the 50s, or under a military dictatorship, when political adversaries were often seen to be physically eliminated in Brazil and Latin America. This practice cannot be tolerated.”

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira