Lula condemns ‘barbarism’ and criticises Brazilian police following protest – live

Far-right ex-president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has just tweeted condemning today’s attacks, but denying that he bears responsibility for the storming of Brazil’s democratic institutions, saying that he “repudiate[s] the accusations, without evidence, attributed to me by the current head of the executive of Brazil”.

In a press conference on Sunday, Lula blamed Bolsonaro for the attacks.

“This genocidist … is encouraging this via social media from Miami,” Lula said, referring to Bolsonaro.

“Everybody knows there are various speeches of the ex-president encouraging this.”

Bolsonaro, an acolyte of Donald Trump’s who has yet to concede defeat, has peddled the false claim that Brazil’s electronic voting system was prone to fraud, spawning a violent movement of election deniers.

Bolsonaro, who has been seen in Florida in recent days, has barely spoken in public since losing the election.

“Peaceful demonstrations, in the form of the law, are part of democracy. However, depredations and invasions of public buildings as occurred today, as well as those practiced by the left in 2013 and 2017, escape the rule,” he said.

“Throughout my mandate, I have always been within the four lines of the Constitution, respecting and defending the laws, democracy, transparency and our sacred freedom.

“In addition, I repudiate the accusations, without evidence, attributed to me by the current head of the executive of Brazil.”