Brazil’s top court evacuated after deadly explosions ahead of G20
NBCNov 14
Brazil: Bomber Dies in Alleged Attack on Supreme Court
Above: Police guard the crime scene where a man died after an explosion in front of Brazil's Supreme Federal Court in Brasilia, Brazil, on Nov. 13, 2024. Image copyright: Evaristo Sa/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
A man apparently killed himself on Brazil's Three Powers Plaza, a square connecting key government buildings in Brasília, on Wednesday in what authorities have called an attempted bombing attack on the country's top court.
He was identified as Francisco Wanderley Luiz, who unsuccessfully ran for city council in 2020 as a candidate for the Liberal Party, which former Pres. Jair Bolsonaro — who condemned the attack on social media — joined a year later.
The Spin
Left narrative
Another day, another right-wing terrorist attack against democratic institutions in Brazil. It's long past time to realize that political pacification can only thrive with zero tolerance for extremists trying to tear down democracy — including those involved in the coup acts of Jan. 8, 2023.
Right narrative
This incident targeting the Supreme Court was most likely a lone-wolf attack carried out by an individual with no clear connections to the right wing. And unsurprisingly, Justice Alexandre de Moraes has already weaponized it against Bolsonaro and his supporters.