One person has died after two explosions rocked Brasília, near Brazil’s Supreme Court, on Wednesday night. Authorities are treating the incident as the work of a lone bomber, with the victim believed to be the attacker.
The blasts occurred 20 seconds apart around 7:30 p.m. in a parking lot and a nearby plaza near key political sites, including the Supreme Court, Congress, and the offices of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The deceased was identified as 59-year-old Francisco Wanderley Luiz, who had previously run for office in 2020 under the conservative Liberal Party.
Authorities confirmed that the man had attempted to enter the Supreme Court building before the explosions occurred. The area, including the plaza known as Three Powers Square, was immediately evacuated, and bomb squads were deployed to investigate potential additional threats.
Luiz’s car, which was involved in the first explosion, was registered to him, and local reports revealed a threatening message posted on his Facebook account before the incident, warning of a bomb and threatening political figures.
Brazil’s solicitor general, Jorge Messias, vowed a swift investigation, aiming to uncover the motive behind the attacks and restore security. This attack follows a history of politically motivated violence, including a failed bombing attempt in December 2022 and the storming of key government buildings in January 2023 by Bolsonaro supporters.
The explosions took place just days before the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, which will be attended by President Biden and other world leaders.
