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Brasilia (AFP) – Relatives of some of the hundreds of women arrested for the violent assault on the headquarters of public authorities in Brasilia wait in the sun and shade for information about their loved ones in front of the gates of a women’s prison.
Under anonymity, they insist that their relatives did not participate in the invasion and looting of the Presidency, Congress and the Supreme Court on January 8, a week after the rise to power of the leftist leader Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva .
“These people were not persecuting the president (‘Lula’),” said a man in his early 50s who introduced himself as “Papi” at the gates of Colmeia, the women’s prison where some 500 detained women were taken.
“What unites these people is the indignation because the election did not seem transparent,” said the man, referring to the October presidential elections in which Lula defeated the far-right Jair Bolsonaro, who was seeking re-election, by 1.8 percentage points.
Bolsonaro sowed doubts about the electoral system in his four years in government, something that seems to have deeply affected his followers who for weeks protested at the gates of the barracks in several cities demanding that the military prevent the transmission of command.
‘Daddy’ was one of them.
However, when his relative and some friends decided to travel more than 1,000 km to reach Brasilia by bus to add their voice to the demonstrations in the capital, he abstained. “I’m tired of politicians,” he told AFP.
“No one has contact”
For observers, the misinformation fueled the outrage of many supporters of Bolsonaro, who polled 58 million votes in October.
The far-right, who never recognized the victory of ‘Lula’, left the country two days before the transmission of command on January 1.
A week later, thousands of people invaded the headquarters of public authorities and vandalized works of art, furniture and part of their infrastructure with graffiti, attacking Brazilian democratic institutions.
More than 2,000 people were detained, with almost 1,500 of them still in custody. Some 900 men are in the Papuda penitentiary and the women in Comeia.
“The media call these people terrorists,” questions ‘Papi’. “Actually there were about 10 vandals, but all 1,500 people are treated as terrorists.”
The security images of the vandalized buildings as well as videos posted on social networks show a mob of people destroying everything in their path.
‘Papi’ says that his relative arrived in the capital on the day of the coup, and protested “peacefully” on the Esplanade of the Ministries that precedes the headquarters of the powers, but that he did not participate in the invasion.
Instead, says ‘Papi’, she went to the camp in front of the Army headquarters, where, according to her version, she was detained.
He hasn’t spoken to her since January 9.
“No one has contact with the detainees. Only the lawyers,” claimed ‘Papi’.
A prosecutor explained to AFP this week that the procedural rite establishes a custody hearing in 24 hours “in normal situations, with a normal crime”, after which a judge must rule on whether to maintain the detention or wait for the trial in freedom.
In exceptional cases like this, the prosecutor said, those deadlines can be extended.
The detainees face the possibility of responding to charges under the category of “undemocratic acts” with penalties of up to 12 years in prison.
“no definition”
Some relatives have communicated with their relatives through notes that they send to the prison through lawyers, some people told AFP at the gates of the penitentiary.
“We have information from the (prison) gatekeepers, who are being well treated, but the rights to see the family, to talk, were denied. Eight days passed and we had no contact,” said a young man who asked to be identified as Lucas and whose mother-in-law is in custody.
The mother-in-law traveled with a friend of more than 70 years to the capital before the assault on public powers.
He says that she did not participate in the acts of vandalism and that she was also arrested the next day in front of the barracks.
After two days without news, the 70-year-old friend was released, says Lucas, and called them to notify them of the arrest.
The 30-year-old man arrived in Brasilia on Saturday with his girlfriend in search of news.
“We have no definition of when they are going to release her or we are going to be able to see her, at least to say ‘hello’, bring her soap, shampoo or even some cookies. It’s sad,” he said.
Every morning, the couple arrives at 8:00 am at the gates of Colmeia. They only retire for lunch and return to wait until evening.
“We came looking for her,” Lucas said. “I just want it out as quickly as possible.”
