Presidential Palace Nicolau Lobato, Dili, 09 January 2023
President of Timor-Leste José Ramos-Horta condemned today’s invasion of Brazil’s National Congress, Supreme Court and Presidential Palace by supporters Ex-President Jair Bolsonaro.
“It is with deep consternation and concern that I take note of the barbaric, violent events of assault on the Brazilian democratic institutions by supporters of former President Bolsonaro, who is currently taking refuge in the United States,” Ramos-Horta said.
“It reminds me of the attacks orchestrated by former President Donald Trump on the highest, most symbolic institution of democracy, the American Congress,” he said, “which I personally know very, very well, after many years of work, of coexistence with that great old American institution. It seems that what happened in Washington was copied and pasted by supporters of former President Bolsonaro, who coincidentally is in Florida, United States”.
Ramos-Horta urged all people to strongly condemn the violent actions in Brazil.
“It is the act of extreme gravity, that we all, the countries of the CPLP, European Union, all democratic countries in the world, the United Nations, must repudiate and condemn without equivocation” he said.
President Ramos-Horta attended President Lula’s inauguration ceremony on 1 January 2023.