US President Joe Biden on Sunday condemned "the assault on democracy" in Brazil after supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro invaded the country's Congress, presidential palace and Supreme Court, Reuters reported.
Biden said he looked forward to continuing to work with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro in a runoff in October.
"I condemn the assault on democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil. Brazil’s democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined," Biden said on Twitter.
Biden’s National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, also condemned the violence.
“The United States condemns any effort to undermine democracy in Brazil. President Biden is following the situation closely and our support for Brazil’s democratic institutions is unwavering. Brazil’s democracy will not be shaken by violence,” he tweeted.
US Senator Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also condemned the violence and likened it to the US Capitol invasion two years ago by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
"I condemn this outrageous assault on #Brazil’s govt buildings incited by demagogue Bolsonaro’s reckless disregard for democratic principles," tweeted Menendez.
"2 yrs since Jan. 6, Trump’s legacy continues to poison our hemisphere. Protecting democracy & holding malign actors to account is essential," he added.
Representative Joaquin Castro, a Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told CNN that Bolsonaro "basically used the Trump playbook to inspire domestic terrorists to try to take over the government" and "is a dangerous man."
"The United States should not be a refuge for this authoritarian who has inspired domestic terrorism in Brazil. He should be sent back to Brazil," Castro said of Bolsonaro, who flew to Florida 48 hours before the end of his mandate.
Da Silva said earlier on Sunday that the perpetrators will be found and punished, adding there was "no precedent in the history of our country" for the scenes seen at Congress and at the Supreme Court.
He called the violence the "acts of vandals and fascists".
The Guardian’s Brazil correspondent reported that, according to Brazilian TV, 150 people involved in the riots were arrested.
Bolsonaro challenged the election in November, arguing votes from some machines should be "invalidated". However, the head of Brazil's electoral court rejected the complaint.