President of Brazil dismisses 40 soldiers from the palace guard

In response to unrest in the government district of Brasilia, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sacked dozens of security forces. The measure, announced in Diário da República on Tuesday, concerns 40 soldiers who were stationed at the residence of the Head of State. The Palácio da Alvorada, in Brasilia, is about four kilometers from Praça dos Três Poderes, which was the scene of violent riots on January 8th.

Supporters of Lula’s predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, stormed the National Congress, the Presidential Residence and the Federal Supreme Court and wreaked havoc for hours. His anger was vented with the electoral victory of left-wing politician Lula, who narrowly defeated right-wing extremist Bolsonaro in a second round and has been in office since the beginning of the year.

After the escalation of violence, Lula announced a thorough investigation and suggested that the protesters who invaded the presidential palace had support from within the agency. “I am convinced that the door of the Planalto Palace was opened for people to enter because no door was broken,” he said on Thursday.

On Monday, authorities beefed up security in Brasilia. The number of deputies crowded near the Planalto Palace, Congress and Federal Supreme Court increased from 248 to 500.

More than 2,000 suspects were arrested after the attack on the government district. Nearly 1,200 of them are in custody. The Public Prosecutor’s Office launched investigations against 39 suspects, among other things, of inciting a coup d’état.