World
November 14, 2024 07:00
brasilia, brazil - A suicide bomber detonated explosives at the Supreme Court in Brasilia, Brazil, causing panic and leading to the death of the attacker. The incident prompted the evacuation of judges and heightened security measures in the capital.
The government center of Brazil was on high alert on Wednesday night after two explosions were heard. Two bombs went off at the Plaza of the Three Powers in the capital city of Brasilia, where the presidential palace, the parliament, and the Supreme Court (STF) are located. One person was killed, likely the perpetrator.
Judges at the Supreme Court were evacuated, and President Lula had already left the presidential Planalto Palace. The military police immediately cleared the buildings and the Praça dos Três Poderes after the explosions. A body was found near the Court, and the area was cordoned off.
According to the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, the deceased bomber was wearing a suit with a playing card pattern. Next to him was a white hat, possibly a reference to The Joker, the villain from the movies of the same name. A photo taken after the explosions shows the body of a man lying in the dark in front of the Supreme Court.
Three hundred meters away, a car filled with explosives was found. The vehicle is reportedly registered to Francisco Wanderley Luiz, a 59-year-old locksmith who unsuccessfully ran for city council under the Liberal Party (PL) in a city in the southern state of Santa Catarina.
Prior to the attack on the political center of Brazil, Wanderley had posted references to bombs and explosions on social media, challenging the police to disarm the bombs as if it were a game.
Globo News reported that Wanderley had also sent messages to the leaders of the Brazilian Lower House and the Senate, as well as army commanders.
Francisco Wanderley Luiz was reportedly seen at the Supreme Court on August 24, supported by a selfie taken in the courtroom. A few days before the incident, he had rented a house in Brasilia and attempted to enter the Supreme Court with a backpack containing explosives.
A witness stated that they saw Wanderley throw two explosives at the Justice statue in front of the Supreme Court. The statue depicts the blindfolded Greek goddess of justice, Themis, holding a sword in her lap.
The hearings at the Supreme Court have been suspended until Thursday at noon by Chairman Arthur Lira of the Lower House.