Brazilian Presidential Guard soldiers have repulsed opposition demonstrators who had stormed the President’s office in an attempt to stage a coup.
Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro have refused to accept election of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
They stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace at the country’s capital on Sunday.
Some of the demonstrators called for a military intervention to either restore the far-right Bolsonaro to power or oust Lula from the presidency.
In a news conference from Sao Paulo state, Lula accused Bolsonaro of encouraging the revolt by those he termed “fascist fanatics,” and he read a freshly signed decree for the federal government to take control of security in the federal district.
“There is no precedent for what they did and these people need to be punished,” Lula said.
Former president Jair Bolsonaro took a position on the invasions of protesters, “Peaceful demonstrations, in the form of the law, are part of democracy”, stated Bolsonaro in a tweet published on Sunda.
About 300 people were arrested, and 40 buses that took protesters to Brasilia were detained and their financiers identified.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has vowed to punish supporters of the country’s ex-leader, Jair Bolsonaro.
On Monday morning, heavily armed officers in the city gathered outside a camp of Mr Bolsonaro’s supporters – one of a number that have been set up outside army barracks around the country since October’s election.
Meanwhile, Brasilia’s governor, Ibaneis Rocha, has been removed from his post for 90 days by the Supreme Court.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes accused him of failing to prevent the riot and of being “painfully silent” in the face of the attack. Mr Rocha has apologised for Sunday’s events.
Pro-democracy rallies are being called by leftist leaders and groups across Brazil.
