Brazil's Lula Accuses Bolsonaro of Preparing Jan 8 'Coup'

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has been accused of actively participating in a plan to storm government buildings following his election loss. CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP
Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has been accused of actively participating in a plan to storm government buildings following his election loss. CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP
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Brazil's Lula Accuses Bolsonaro of Preparing Jan 8 'Coup'

Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has been accused of actively participating in a plan to storm government buildings following his election loss. CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP
Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has been accused of actively participating in a plan to storm government buildings following his election loss. CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday alleged that his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro actively participated in planning for his supporters to storm government buildings on January 8.

"Today I am well aware and will say it loud and clear: that citizen [former president Bolsonaro] prepared the coup," Lula said in an interview with broadcaster RedeTV!

Refusing to accept Bolsonaro's election loss, thousands of his backers broke into the presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court buildings in Brasilia a week after Lula's inauguration, AFP said.

The president was not in the capital at the time.

"I am certain that Bolsonaro actively participated in that and is still trying to participate," Lula added when questioned about his predecessor's role in the assault.

Lula's allegations against Bolsonaro -- who has been in the US state of Florida since late December -- came the same day that a Brazilian senator accused the former president of attending a meeting on how to prevent the handover of power.

The plan, according to Senator Marcos do Val, was to force Superior Electoral Court president Alexandre de Moraes to say something incriminating while secretly recording him.

De Moraes is a favorite target of Bolsonaro supporters, who allege he interfered in the election to help Lula.

Do Val, a former Bolsonaro ally, initially told Veja magazine that it was Bolsonaro who presented the plan to him, but later changed his version of the story, saying the former president remained "silent" during the meeting.

His accusations dominated local news on Thursday, and Do Val was called to give statements to the Federal Police.

Bolsonaro, who has requested a six-month visa to remain in the United States, is under investigation as part of a sprawling probe of the January 8 assault.



Grossi Wants to Meet with Iran’s Pezeshkian ‘at Earliest Convenience’

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)
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Grossi Wants to Meet with Iran’s Pezeshkian ‘at Earliest Convenience’

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi speaks to the media at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, US, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi announced he intends to visit Tehran through a letter he addressed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Iranian Mehr Agency reported that Grossi sent a congratulatory message to the Iranian president-elect, which stated: “I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to you on your election win as President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

“Cooperation between the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Islamic Republic of Iran has been at the focal attention of the international circles for many years. I am confident that, together, we will be able to make decisive progress on this crucial matter.”

“To that effect, I wish to express my readiness to travel to Iran to meet with you at the earliest convenience,” Iran’s Mehr news agency quoted Grossi as saying.

The meeting – should it take place - will be the first for Pezeshkian, who had pledged during his election campaign to be open to the West to resolve outstanding issues through dialogue.

Last week, American and Israeli officials told the Axios news site that Washington sent a secret warning to Tehran last month regarding its fears of Iranian research and development activities that might be used to produce nuclear weapons.

In May, Grossi expressed his dissatisfaction with the course of the talks he held over two days in Iran in an effort to resolve outstanding matters.

Since the death of the former Iranian president, Ibrahim Raisi, the IAEA chief refrained from raising the Iranian nuclear file, while European sources said that Tehran had asked to “freeze discussions” until the internal situation was arranged and a new president was elected.