Federal police say elite Brazilian army officers conspired to assassinate Lula
According to police reports, five Brazilian officers conspired to assassinate President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 2022. For more details, read the full article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Brazil’s federal police have apprehended five officers in connection with an alleged assassination plot targeting then-president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, forming part of a proposed coup d'état from 2022.
A police statement released on Tuesday revealed that the operation, codenamed ‘Green and Yellow Dagger’ — a reference to the colors of the Brazilian flag — was developed in late 2022, prior to Lula taking office. The conspiracy reportedly included plans to capture or eliminate Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
According to authorities, the men were detained as a result of an operation aimed at "dismantling a criminal organization responsible for planning a coup d'état to prevent the government legitimately elected in the 2022 elections from taking office."
The alleged conspiracy also involved additional military personnel with special forces training, as noted in the statement.
Law enforcement indicated that they executed three search warrants and took other measures, yet the timing for bringing official charges against the five suspects remains unspecified.
Federal investigators have not clarified why the assassination plot was not executed. The country’s Secretary of Social Communication, Paulo Pimenta, suggested to reporters on Tuesday that the failure was likely due to "details." Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski remarked that the suspects “came very close” to reaching their goal.
Media reports citing an arrest warrant identify one of the suspects as retired General Mario Fernandes, who served as a senior advisor to then-incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, whom Lula narrowly defeated in the elections.
Lula returned as president of Brazil in January 2023 for a third, non-consecutive term following his victory over Bolsonaro in October 2022. Bolsonaro, the outgoing president, alleged that the election had been stolen from him due to a supposed “malfunction” affecting numerous electronic voting machines. Following Lula's inauguration, his supporters protested by blocking highways and storming the presidential palace in Brasilia on January 8, 2023, just a week after the new president took office.
Some participants in the riots called for a military coup to prevent Lula from taking power.
At the time, Bolsonaro had traveled to the United States but later urged an end to the unrest and approved the initiation of the transition process.
Bolsonaro's attorney, Paulo Cunha Bueno, stated to the New York Times this week that the former president did not have any involvement in or knowledge of the plot, which he has consistently denied, labeling the investigation as political persecution.
Reports from AP indicate that Fernandes provided guidance and financial resources to the protesters. His plans purportedly included various scenarios for assassinating Judge de Moraes. Investigators uncovered communications and documentation suggesting the plotters were actively monitoring and tracking the justice.
The conspiracy also included provisions for poisoning Lula, with one of the arrested officers allegedly supplying information regarding the then-president-elect's security details.
Authorities have also confiscated a document that outlined a strategy for toppling the elected government, which involved orchestrating an investigation into alleged election fraud and calling for new elections through a presidential decree supported by Congress.
According to police, the suspected coup plotters allegedly planned to establish a ‘crisis cabinet’ after the coup, which they would control.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
A police statement released on Tuesday revealed that the operation, codenamed ‘Green and Yellow Dagger’ — a reference to the colors of the Brazilian flag — was developed in late 2022, prior to Lula taking office. The conspiracy reportedly included plans to capture or eliminate Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
According to authorities, the men were detained as a result of an operation aimed at "dismantling a criminal organization responsible for planning a coup d'état to prevent the government legitimately elected in the 2022 elections from taking office."
The alleged conspiracy also involved additional military personnel with special forces training, as noted in the statement.
Law enforcement indicated that they executed three search warrants and took other measures, yet the timing for bringing official charges against the five suspects remains unspecified.
Federal investigators have not clarified why the assassination plot was not executed. The country’s Secretary of Social Communication, Paulo Pimenta, suggested to reporters on Tuesday that the failure was likely due to "details." Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski remarked that the suspects “came very close” to reaching their goal.
Media reports citing an arrest warrant identify one of the suspects as retired General Mario Fernandes, who served as a senior advisor to then-incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, whom Lula narrowly defeated in the elections.
Lula returned as president of Brazil in January 2023 for a third, non-consecutive term following his victory over Bolsonaro in October 2022. Bolsonaro, the outgoing president, alleged that the election had been stolen from him due to a supposed “malfunction” affecting numerous electronic voting machines. Following Lula's inauguration, his supporters protested by blocking highways and storming the presidential palace in Brasilia on January 8, 2023, just a week after the new president took office.
Some participants in the riots called for a military coup to prevent Lula from taking power.
At the time, Bolsonaro had traveled to the United States but later urged an end to the unrest and approved the initiation of the transition process.
Bolsonaro's attorney, Paulo Cunha Bueno, stated to the New York Times this week that the former president did not have any involvement in or knowledge of the plot, which he has consistently denied, labeling the investigation as political persecution.
Reports from AP indicate that Fernandes provided guidance and financial resources to the protesters. His plans purportedly included various scenarios for assassinating Judge de Moraes. Investigators uncovered communications and documentation suggesting the plotters were actively monitoring and tracking the justice.
The conspiracy also included provisions for poisoning Lula, with one of the arrested officers allegedly supplying information regarding the then-president-elect's security details.
Authorities have also confiscated a document that outlined a strategy for toppling the elected government, which involved orchestrating an investigation into alleged election fraud and calling for new elections through a presidential decree supported by Congress.
According to police, the suspected coup plotters allegedly planned to establish a ‘crisis cabinet’ after the coup, which they would control.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
