Brazilian Police Launch Operation To Find Supporters Of Pro-Bolsonaro Riots

Brazilian police launched on Friday a special operation to track down those involved in the January 8 riots in support of former President Jair Bolsonaro after his defeat in the election to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2023) Brazilian police launched on Friday a special operation to track down those involved in the January 8 riots in support of former President Jair Bolsonaro after his defeat in the election to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

"The federal police launched the first phase of operation Lesa Patria on Friday morning in order to identify people who participated, financed or supported the events of January 8 in the city of Brasilia," police said in a statement.

According to the statement, a total of eight arrest warrants and 16 search warrants were issued by the Federal Supreme Court.

The operation will cover the states of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Goias, Mato Grosso do Sul and the Federal District of Brasilia.

On January 8, Bolsonaro's supporters stormed the National Congress building as well as Palacio do Planalto, one of the official palaces of the Presidency, and the Supreme Court building in Brasilia, protesting against the 2022 Brazilian presidential election results. Police managed to regain control of the vandalized buildings by the evening of the same day. Brazil's federal police said that over 1,840 participants in the anti-government protests had been detained.