The federal police in Brazil have announced that the grandson of former President Jair Bolsonaro is under investigation in relation to January 8 attacks on government buildings in Brasilia.
Leonardo Rodrigues de Jesus, also known as Leo Indio, was the first member of the Bolsonaro family to be publicly targeted in investigations.
His home was searched in a series of raids on Friday as part of the operation The investigation is ongoing on the perpetrators behind the attack, led by Bolsonaro supporters.
“Today, the Federal Police are executing 11 preventive arrest warrants and 27 search and seizure orders against coup plotters and terrorists,” Brazilian Justice Minister Flávio Dino tweeted on Thursday. Six. “The power of the law is greater than the extremists.”
On January 8, de Jesus posted photos and videos from the Three Powers Plaza in Brasilia, where hundreds of far-right protesters gathered to protest Inauguration of Leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva a week before.
Some protesters have called for the military to restore power to Bolsonaro, after my failure in a tight match in October against Lula. The crowd broke through the security fence, burst into buildings represented three branches of government — Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Planalto presidential palace — and caused considerable damage.
In a selfie posted to his social media, de Jesus stood with red eyes amid protesters, a fact he attributed to tear gas. He accused police of targeting protesters, writing: “Look for real thugs and cowards disguised as patriots.”
Officials have called the January 8 events the worst attack on the Brazilian government since the country’s return to democracy in the 1980s.
Brazil’s Supreme Court, headed by Judge Alexandre de Moraes, has since issued warrants to search the homes and offices of a range of individuals, including Ibaneis Rocha, the governor of Brasilia, whom de Moraes ordered. suspension for 90 days.
Federal police previously said the raids were aimed at identifying people who “participated in, funded or promoted” anti-democracy protests. Final charges may include crimes against democracy and criminal association.
Dino, the justice minister, welcomed the police investigations, calling the protesters “coupers”.
De Jesus has previously used his social media platform to share misinformation about the October presidential election and far-right protests, including baseless claims that the The January 8 case was infiltrated by violent leftists.
In 2022, de Jesus also ran for public office, but failed in his campaign to become a Federal District councilor.
However, he maintained personal and professional relationships with Bolsonaro and his sons, especially Carlos Bolsonaro, Rio de Janeiro city council member and head of technical operations. his father’s number.
Carlos Bolsonaro hired de Jesus as an assistant in Rio de Janeiro, before de Jesus moved to Brasilia. There, de Jesus took up positions on the senator’s cabinet team and was an adviser to Bolsonaro’s conservative Liberal Party in the Senate.
However, he lost his position after the media reported that he was once a “ghost employee”, receiving salary but not coming to work.
Since 2021, officials in Rio de Janeiro have also been investigating de Jesus after allegations that Flavio Bolsonaro – one of the former president’s other sons – transferred money to de Jesus from his cabinet. I’m on the city council. De Jesus is also accused of receiving public funds to pay rent.
Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered de Jesus’ detention for his role in the January 8 attacks, but police have not arrested him so far. De Jesus has stated that he lacks the money to pay his lawyers to appeal the order.
Friday’s raids are the latest step in an ongoing series of measures designed to destroy anti-government forces in Brazil.
On Wednesday, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes fined messaging platform Telegram 1.2 million Brazilian reais ($234,865) for not suspending accounts linked to misinformation among supporters. Bolsonaro, by order of the court.
And on January 21, Lula refuted a army commander, General Julio Cesar de Arruda, for disobeying government orders to clear the camp of Bolsonaro supporters who participated in the January 8 attacks.
