'We cannot forgive those who tried to overthrow democracy,' says Capelli.
The former interventor in the Federal District during the January 8th protests criticizes the idea of amnesty and highlights the decisive role of the Military Police.
247 - Journalist and writer Ricardo Cappelli, former federal interventor in the Federal District and current president of the Brazilian Industrial Development Agency (ABDI), was interviewed on the program Forças do Brasil this Saturday (6), on TV 247. He recalled the events of January 8, 2023 and the possibility of amnesty for those involved and also detailed the context of the federal intervention, the performance of the security forces and the risks of impunity.
“We cannot forgive those who tried to overthrow democracy,” Cappelli stated, emphasizing that the attempted coup represented a direct attack on the democratic rule of law. “The actions of the federal forces ensured that chaos did not spread, protecting institutions and citizens,” he added.
Cappelli explained that, at the time, he was appointed federal interventor following an emergency decision by President Lula, given the disappearance of the governor of the Federal District and the absence of command of local security. “By late afternoon, around 18 pm, chaos had already taken hold. The governor was unreachable, the Secretary of Security had traveled, and someone needed to immediately take command of the situation,” he recounted.
According to him, the intervention required quick and strategic decisions. “I received instructions to take control of the situation, clear the Esplanade, and arrest as many criminals as possible,” said Cappelli. He detailed that he needed to remove commanders from the Military Police and reposition the hierarchy to stabilize the situation: “Some elements needed to be separated to preserve the institution. The objective was to extinguish the fire, not to generate more instability.”
Regarding the actions of the Armed Forces, Cappelli clarified that there was no support for the coup within the high command, although there was tolerance towards the encampments set up by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro. "I don't believe the high command was supporting any coup conspiracy. There were individual elements, but the command as a whole maintained legality," he stated.
The writer also commented on the nature of the attacks and the involvement of military and paramilitary personnel among the protesters. “The Military Police of the Federal District counted 44 wounded in combat. Among the protesters were trained men with knowledge of combat tactics. This was no walk in the park,” said Cappelli. He emphasized that the series of attacks was part of a broader process of destabilizing democracy, which began during the Bolsonaro administration.
No amnesty
When addressing the issue of amnesty, Cappelli was emphatic: “Allowing amnesty would send a clear message that democracy can be negotiated, and that is something we cannot accept. Any attempt at impunity weakens Brazil's history and constitutional boundaries.”
The book launch January 8th: The Brazil that didn't seeThe book launch for Cappelli's work is scheduled for September 11th at Livraria da Vila, in Shopping Cidade São Paulo, at 18:30 PM. In the book, the former interventor brings together historical accounts and details about crisis management during those decisive days, also offering a personal perspective on his experience leading the intervention.
“I wrote this book to leave a historical record. Brazil’s history includes coups and attempted coups that have never been judged. This time, the Supreme Federal Court is putting civilians and military personnel involved in an attempted coup in the dock. It is a historic trial that establishes clear limits for Brazilian democracy,” Cappelli concluded.
