In an extraordinary incident, a few days before Brazil is set to host the G20 summit, a man carrying explosives attempted to enter the country’s Supreme Court. The man died during what appeared to be a suicide attempt as the explosion occurred at the entrance of the Supreme Court in Brasilia.
Brasilia governor Celina Leao told reporters: “This citizen approached the Federal Supreme Court, tried to enter, failed, and the explosion happened at the entrance.”
Police identified the suspect as Francisco Wanderley Luiz, a candidate for local council in the 2020 election representing the Liberal Party of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, GloboNews network reported, citing police documents. His body was discovered outside the court after two blasts went off; neither of these injured anyone, according to local authorities.
An AFP report said that the first blast happened in a car in the square outside the court, quoting interior ministry officials around 7:30 pm local time. Within seconds, as the man tried to force his way into the Supreme Court building, another blast went off, instantly killing him.
Other objects near his body made it difficult for officials to identify the man and the place right away, Leao added, which is why the emergency services also sealed the area quickly.
This comes as security in Brazil increases with the G20 summit next week, which is expected to be attended by world leaders, including Indian PM Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, and China’s President Xi Jinping.
