Explosives and timer found on suspect's body after attack on Brazil's highest court

By Julia Vargas Jones, Helen Regan and Mia Alberti, CNN

(CNN) — A man killed himself while detonating explosives after trying to force his way into Brazil’s Supreme Court in Brasilia on Wednesday, an attempted attack that appeared politically motivated and came as the country’s top tribunal is under pressure over cases of disinformation and extremism.

The suspected that the attacker, Francisco Wanderley Luiz, had ties to former President Jair Bolsonaro’s right-wing liberal party after he unsuccessfully ran for local elections in 2020, CNN affiliate CNN Brasil reported Thursday, citing the federal police.

Police found posts on Luiz’s social media criticizing and threatening state authorities, CNN Brasil reported.

The Liberal Party condemned the attack in a statement on X, calling it “a serious act” and saying attacks on public institutions contradict the party’s principles.

Luiz’s ex-wife told police she believed his goal was to kill Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, according to CNN Brasil. Brazilian authorities are still investigating the motive.

Moraes warned that the attack was symptomatic of a broader attempt to stoke hate speech against government institutions, a sentiment he said has grown under “a false blanket of criminal use of freedom of expression – insulting, threatening, pushing.”

“Nowhere in the world does this freedom of expression exist: this is a crime,” Moraes added

Moraes and other Supreme Court justices have become frequent targets of criticism as the court has expanded its authority in cases related to political extremism, disinformation and threats to the democratic order.

Moraes himself rose to international prominence in August when he ordered a nationwide ban on social media platform X for refusing to suspend accounts containing hate speech or disinformation.

The order escalated for a month feud with Elon Muskwho called him ‘an evil dictator’, and outraged Bolsonaro supporters. In October, the court allowed the platform to resume services after complying with the account bans.

While some see this expansion of power as essential to protecting Brazil’s democracy, critics have labeled it a judicial power grab aimed at curtailing conservative voices.

Dissatisfaction with the court has increased in recent years as it has expanded its authority on matters related to political extremism, disinformation and threats to the democratic order.

In August, the Supreme Court the suspension ordered from social media site X across the country after Musk refused to appoint a legal representative in the country.

Police investigation

Luiz had been to Brasilia several times since the beginning of the year and there are signs that he had been planning the bombing for some time, Andrei Rodrigues, director general of the federal police, said at a news conference on Thursday morning.

Rodrigues said the attempted attack is linked to several other investigations being conducted by federal police, despite previous officials characterizing Luiz as a “lone wolf.”

“These extremist groups are active and we must act quickly,” Rodrigues said, adding that the explosives found at the scene were homemade but had a high damage capacity.

The first car bomb exploded at 7:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. ET) near the congress building, Vice Governor of the Federal District Celina Leão told reporters late Wednesday.

The suspect then attempted to enter the Supreme Court building, but was unsuccessful, and a second explosion occurred just outside the front doors. There were no other victims of the attack, she said.

The court and Congress, both still in session, were evacuated. Staff and lawmakers were taken to safety as police conducted an hours-long inspection of the Three Powers Plaza.

The damaged car found at the scene was registered to Luiz. The federal police’s anti-terrorism unit is investigating the explosions as a suicide bombing.

Security issues

The square was the site of mass protests and attacks on January 8, 2023, when Bolsonaro supporters stormed the Supreme Court, Congress and presidential offices. Investigations into the failure of security in all three buildings to control demonstrators led to the temporary suspension of the governor of the Federal District and the dismissal of 87 members of the security forces.

The Supreme Court’s handling of the trials of the January 8 rioters and the investigation into Bolsonaro’s possible involvement in inciting violence led to increased criticism of the tribunal by some.

Attorney General Jorge Messias promised that the police investigation would proceed quickly. “We must understand the motivation behind these attacks and restore peace and security as soon as possible,” Messias wrote on X.

The incident comes five days before Brazil prepares to host world leaders before the major economies of the Group of Twenty (G20) in Rio de Janeiro. Chinese leader Xi Jinping will meet Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on November 20 for a state visit in Brasilia, and US President Joe Biden will visit the Amazon rainforest on Sunday before attending the G20.

This story has been updated.