New National Guard to protect capital palaces with Brazil facing bolsonaro’s attacks

Brazil’s Minister of Justice, Flávio Dino, has announced the formation of the new National Guard which will be responsible for the security of the capital’s palaces to protect them from attacks from the bolsonaro regime.

In an interview with the Brazil Communication Company, Dino said that the security of the palaces must not be “left to the discretion of the governor of the capital”. The National Guard will replace the National Force, made up of agents of the state police forces, which only assembles temporarily for certain missions.

The body will be used to protect civic areas, but will have the authority to act in border regions, indigenous territories and environmental units. The security of the center of Brasilia had previously depended on the Military Police, which is being investigated for its alleged complicity in the January 8 attacks carried out by thousands of Bolsonaristas against the government and supreme court headquarters.

This attack was an attempt to overthrow Lula, who had just taken power on January 1. In response, Lula removed several members of the Institutional Security Cabinet appointed under Bolsonaro’s administration from their roles and ordered an intervention from the city’s security agencies.

Nearly 1,800 were arrested for the assault but nearly half were released on the condition of using an electronic ankle bracelet. The Supreme Court has charged Bolsonaro with instigating these attacks and has removed the capital governor Ibaneis Rocha, and the Security Secretary Anderson Torres, both allies of the ex-president, from their roles.

The National Guard will deploy to the capital shortly, in a move to maintain better security and prevent any further attacks.