How Brazil Can Prevent an Authoritarian Resurgence
Foreign AffairsAPR 20 2023
Brazil's Supreme Court Wednesday instructed the federal government to request Argentina to extradite 63 Brazilians convicted of rioting in Brasília on Jan. 8, 2023.
This follows the Federal Police's request and a letter seeking confirmation that 143 "fugitives" were now located in Argentina amid a surge in Brazilians applying for refuge there since Pres. Javier Milei took office.
Those who left Brazil reportedly did so to avoid serving sentences of up to 17 years. They submitted their passports to the Supreme Court, but traveling to Argentina requires only ID cards.
It's no coincidence that fugitive rioters who stormed government buildings in Brasília have sought haven in Javier Milei's Argentina, given that the transnational far-right was behind this failed coup attempt in Brazil. If the rule of law and friendly diplomatic relations are to prevail, Buenos Aires should grant these possible extradition requests.
The Jan. 8 storming of government buildings in Brasília was relatively peaceful despite some property damage to furniture and artwork — and protesters never intended to stage a military coup. Mainstream media has promoted a conspiracy that doesn't exist while ignoring that Brazilians are fully capable of protesting and distrusting institutions on their own.