Explosions Rock Brazil’s Supreme Court and Parliament

Two explosions occurred near government buildings in Brasilia on Wednesday.

Two bombs were detonated near government buildings in the Brazilian capital on Wednesday evening, killing one person.  

According to the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, the blasts in Brasilia were heard around 7:30 pm local time. The first bomb went off outside the Supreme Federal Court, while the second explosion occurred near the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the nation’s parliament.

Eyewitnesses told news website Universo Online that a man carrying explosives approached the courthouse and detonated the bomb near the ‘Lady Justice’ statue, which stands outside the entrance.

The fire department and police confirmed that one person was killed but did not specify if he was the attacker. 

The incident occurred at the Three Powers Plaza, where the Supreme Court, the parliament, and the presidential palace are located.

A video posted to social media reportedly shows one of the explosions.

The courthouse has been evacuated, while the sessions of the both houses of the parliament were suspended.

The governor of Brasilia, Ibaneis Rocha, described the bombing as a “suicide” attack.

Universo Online reported that the suspect was a 59-year-old man who made threats on social media to politicians and Supreme Court justices. 

Without identifying the man by name, the website said he had lived in the southern state of Santa Catarina and, in 2020, he ran for the city council of Rio do Sul but received only 98 votes.