Scammers feared international sanctions and planned external action

Bolsonaro would try to fight back, organizing a meeting with foreign ambassadors to criticize the national electoral system. With several of the delegations already alerted, the meeting was a failure and, months later, resulted in the former president’s ineligibility.

Biden publicly condemned the January 8 attacks

On the American side, as well as on the European side, the gestures indicated that the Brazilian electoral process would not be just another one in the world.

During the counting, in the second round of 2022, foreign embassies sent messages of support for the electoral process and confidence in the polls. Immediately after the results were announced, governments rushed to congratulate Lula. There, what was at stake was not the PT candidate. But the ability for the extreme right to be defeated at the polls.

The second test would be Lula’s inauguration. Once again, governments from around the world sent their representatives to Brasília. It was not a seal of approval for President Lula. But a show of force against the extreme right and an attempt to shield any type of action. The result was an inauguration with more than 70 foreign delegations, a record.

The biggest test, however, comes on January 8, 2023, with the scenes that quickly captured the world, sparking an international alert regarding the extreme right and the need for permanent vigilance. Leaders rushed to delegitimize a coup in Brazil, while members of the government became targets of telephone calls and demonstrations of support.