Brazil's Federal Police Serve Search Warrants To Bolsonaro Supporters For Blocking Highway During Protest

Brazil's federal police served dozens of search warrants to Bolsonaro supporters for blocking a highway during a protest in response to his election loss. Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes, who also presides over the nation’s electoral authority, ordered the operation as well as two investigations into Bolsonaro’s supporters for allegedly committing anti-democratic acts and the spreading of misinformation on social media regarding the elections.

According to Associated Press, the Supreme Court said in a statement that the investigation related to the 81 search warrants is proceeding under seal, with more warrants being issued in seven states and the Federal District. Separately, Federal Police officers carried out 23 searches and at least four preventive detentions in Espirito Santo state related to electoral fake news. The local newspaper said that around 15 firearms were seized during the operation, including rifles, a submachine gun, and ammunition. The Federal Police did not confirm nor deny the information when inquired via email.

Many analysts have expressed their concern that Bolsonaro may be setting up a possible insurrection similar to the riot that took place in the U.S. Capitol on January 2021. Since Bolsonaro’s narrow defeat to his left-leaning opponent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in the Oct. 30 election, many of his supporters took to the streets and blocked over 1,000 roads across the country before federal authorities began working to clear a passage.

Some of the more livid supporters were said to have employed “terrorist” methods, including homemade explosives, fireworks, nails, stones, and even barricades made of burning tires. Since the road-clearing operations by the federal police, many of the incidents have become more isolated, however, a statement released on Nov. 21 said most acts of resistance now take place at night, carried out by “extremely violent and coordinated hooded men,” acting simultaneously in different regions of the state.

Data provided by the force’s press office showed the month following the election saw 56 people arrested by federal highway police, with zero arrests occurring in December. Bolsonaro has been laying low since losing the election but made his first public appearance in a month at his presidential residence on Dec. 6, where he gave a speech to his supporters saying he is still the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and that each citizen should work to build a better future for the country.