Brazil’s Supreme Court was evacuated and a man was found dead after two explosions outside the building on Wednesday night.
The explosion occurred in the center of the Brazilian capital – where the Supreme Court, parliament and presidential palace are located.
Brasilia’s deputy governor said the explosion occurred after a man tried to enter the courthouse and was stopped. Police confirmed they discovered a body outside the building but have not yet provided further details.
The country’s solicitor general Jorge Messias condemned what he called a deliberate attack and vowed to conduct a full investigation into the blast.
“I strongly condemn the attacks on the Supreme Court and the House of Representatives,” he said in a statement published on X.
We must know the motives behind the attacks and restore peace and safety as quickly as possible.”
Images provided by news agencies showed the dead man lying in the area outside the court, while police cordoned off the area.
A police spokesman told AFP they could “confirm that there is a body before the Supreme Court”, but did not provide further details.
Brasilia Deputy Governor Celina Leao told reporters that the explosion occurred after a man approached the entrance to the courthouse and failed to enter, and recommended that parliament remain closed on Thursday while protests continued. investigation continues.
“It could have been a lone wolf, like other wolves we have seen around the world,” she told reporters, according to the Associated Press.
“We consider this a suicide because there was only one victim. But investigations will show whether that is indeed the case.”
Earlier, the Supreme Court said in a statement that the building was evacuated as a “precautionary measure” after the explosion was heard. The judges had just finished the plenary session and were quickly evacuated safely.
The courthouse is located in Plaza de los Tres Poderes, across the square from the presidential palace. Local media reported that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva left the area shortly before the explosion.
The explosion occurred just a week before Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the capital, following a trip to attend the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Last year, the square was the scene of mass chaos after supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro ransacked buildings in an attempt to prevent his election defeat by President Lula.
