Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva observed the proceedings during the second session of the G20 Leaders' Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Monday. AFP
On Tuesday, Brazilian police apprehended four soldiers who were part of the security detail for the G20 summit, as they were allegedly involved in a plot to assassinate then President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a 2022 coup attempt, according to a federal police source who spoke to AFP. The source mentioned that the arrests took place in Rio, where the soldiers were engaged in the security operation for the G20 leaders' meeting. Additionally, a police officer was also detained.
A statement from Brazil's federal police indicated that the suspects were primarily soldiers with specialized training in special forces, but it did not specify their involvement in the current G20 summit security arrangements. They were arrested as part of an operation aimed at dismantling a criminal organization allegedly planning a coup to prevent the legitimate government elected in the 2022 elections from taking office.
The purported plot was scheduled for December 15, 2022, just weeks before Lula's inauguration in early 2023, and involved the assassination of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates. Furthermore, they allegedly intended to murder a Supreme Court justice. The conspirators, described as possessing advanced military operational expertise, named their plot 'Green and Yellow Dagger,' likely a reference to the colors of the Brazilian flag. They faced potential charges of attempting to violently overthrow the government, plotting a coup, and being part of a criminal organization.
In October 2022, left-wing Lula triumphed in the presidential election against the far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. In a subsequent insurrection on January 8, 2023, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in Brasilia. Several investigations have been initiated into these events, as well as other alleged attempts to obstruct Lula's inauguration.
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