A man with explosives died trying to enter Brazil’s Supreme Court on Wednesday in what appears to be a suicide, officials said, days before the country is to host the G20 summit.
“This citizen contacted the Federal Supreme Court, tried to enter, failed and an explosion occurred at the entrance,” Brazil Governor Celina Leão told reporters. He said no one else was hurt.
He said the man’s body was outside the court after the two blasts, but immediate efforts to identify him were being hampered by suspicious objects around him.
The first blast occurred around 7:30 pm (2230 GMT) from a car in the square outside the court. The second occurred seconds later as the man tried to enter the court and was killed in the blast, the governor said.
The incident comes ahead of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro next Monday and Tuesday, which will bring together leaders from around the world. American President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will also be among them.
After that summit, Xi is scheduled to visit Brazil next Wednesday on a state visit.
With the gathering of G20 leaders in Brazil, security arrangements have been increased in the country, especially in Rio.
judges were removed
The Supreme Court said in a statement that two powerful explosions occurred at the end of Wednesday’s session and the judges were evacuated safely.
The court is located in the Praça dos Tres Poderes, which is also opposite the Presidential Palace and the Congress.
A spokesman said President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was not at the palace at the time of the explosion.
Rashtrapati Bhavan was sealed and a large police contingent was deployed around the plaza.
An AFP photographer in the area said the area was closed due to heavy rain.
Federal police said they had launched an investigation to determine the circumstances of the blasts and any possible motive.
Sergeant Rodrigo Santos of the capital’s military police said police patrolling the area saw a car on fire and saw the man exit the vehicle.
Liana Costa, a government employee in the capital, told local media that she saw the man leave and “then there was a noise, and I looked back and there was fire and smoke coming out,” and security guards running from the court.
Last year also this area was the center of extreme drama.
On January 8, 2023, the seats of power in Brasília were hit by an uprising, a week after President Lula defeated right-wing outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro in elections.
Thousands of Bolsonaro’s supporters, angry at his defeat, stormed government buildings, causing major damage before authorities restored control.
Rodrigo Pacheco, head of Brazil’s Senate, said the riots led to “changes in security rules” for the presidential palace, Congress and the Supreme Court.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
