Bolsonaro Knew About the Plan to Assassinate Lula: Brazilian Police
Former President Jair Bolsonaro. X/ @JoanComorera1
November 27, 2024 Hour: 7:49 am
The far-right plot also targeted Geraldo Alckmin and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
A declassified police report released on Tuesday revealed a macabre plot to assassinate Brazilian President Lula da Silva, involving elite military personnel, war-grade weaponry, and even the use of chemical agents.
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The assassination plot, which also targeted Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, was discussed between November and December 2022, shortly after Lula’s electoral victory over Jair Bolsonaro.
The suspects used the names of countries (Japan, Germany, Austria, Argentina, Brazil, and Ghana) to maintain their anonymity and assigned nicknames to their targets. Lula was referred to as “Jeca,” and Alckmin as “Joca.”
The failed operation was organized both in offices and on the streets of Brasilia, with plans to execute it on December 15, 2022—two weeks before Lula’s inauguration—in an attempt to keep far-right politician Bolsonaro in power.
Nearly everything was documented in written form, including messages and files recovered by police after two years of investigations. The plot, with details akin to a fictional movie script, was named “Green and Yellow Dagger,” referencing the colors of Brazil’s flag.
Bolsonaro Was Fully Aware of the Extremist Plan
Brazilian police determined that then-President Bolsonaro had “full knowledge” of the terrorist plot. He is one of 37 individuals charged by authorities for attempting a coup following the 2022 elections. The accused include high-ranking military officials and former ministers.
Authorities identified retired General Mario Fernandes, who at the time served as the Executive Secretary of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, as the mastermind behind the plan. The operational arm was to be a group of elite army personnel known as “Black Berets” due to their distinctive black hats. Several of these Black Berets were arrested last week, along with Fernandes. The plot also involved an infiltrator within Lula’s security team.
The document detailing the foiled assassination was printed twice at the Palacio do Planalto. It was approved by General Walter Braga Netto, who had served as Bolsonaro’s Chief of Staff and Minister of Defense, during a meeting held at his residence on November 12, 2022.
At this meeting—attended by Bolsonaro’s former aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid—all necessary measures to “prevent Lula’s inauguration” were outlined. From that point, logistics for executing the plan began to be implemented.
A list of the equipment required for the operation was discovered on a flash drive belonging to one of the suspects. It included a file titled “Operation Lens Design”.
Grenade Launchers, Rifles, and Rocket Launchers
The file detailed the necessary resources, including “six cell phones with TIM operator SIM cards,” bulletproof vests, and a full arsenal of war-grade weaponry.
The conspirators planned to use four pistols and four rifles of calibers typically employed by the country’s security forces. However, what caught investigators’ attention was their intention to use “a light machine gun M249,” “a 40 mm grenade launcher,” and even “an AT4 rocket launcher”—designed to combat armored vehicles and fortified structures.
The documents also mentioned plans to assassinate Lula and Alckmin to “eliminate the formula that won the 2022 election.” For Lula’s execution, the suspects discussed “the possibility of poisoning or using chemical agents to provoke organ failure, considering his vulnerable health condition and frequent hospital visits.”
They also discussed eliminating Alckmin and an individual referred to as “Juca.” Police have not yet identified this third target, but the conspirators believed their “neutralization would disrupt the plans of the radical left.” Additionally, the plot included a plan for Bolsonaro to flee the country.
teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE