Five Arrests in Brazil Over Assassination Plot Against President Lula

brasilia - Five individuals have been arrested in Brazil for planning to assassinate President Lula shortly after his election in late 2022. The suspects include four military personnel and one police officer.

Five individuals have been arrested in Brazil for planning to assassinate President Lula shortly after his election in late 2022. The suspects include four military personnel and one police officer.

The group intended to carry out the assassination before President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's inauguration on January 1, 2023. The assassination plot also targeted Lula's vice president and the president of the Electoral Court.

The arrests took place in various Brazilian cities, including Rio de Janeiro, during the last day of the G-20 summit.

The suspects planned the assassination as part of a coup to prevent Lula from assuming the presidency again. The operation was codenamed 'Green and Yellow Dagger,' referring to the national flag colors. The group aimed to carry out the murder on December 15, 2022.

Among the arrested individuals was a retired general who held a high-ranking position in Jair Bolsonaro's government. Three lieutenant colonels from a specialized army unit were also involved in the plot.

The suspects possessed detailed plans, including targeting Lula at the presidential palace in Brasilia. The group, described as a 'criminal organization' by the federal police, had a high level of military-technical knowledge.

The coup plotters had allegedly considered poisoning Lula due to his health issues. The suspects planned their actions at the home of retired military official Walter Braga Netto, a former Defense Minister under Bolsonaro.

In January 2023, Bolsonaro supporters stormed the Brazilian parliament in protest against Lula's presidency, leading to arrests. Investigations have implicated Bolsonaro in potential coup activities, although he has denied any involvement.