Most material damage repaired after January 8 riots

The political damage caused by the far-right January 8 riots in Brasília is far from being repaired. However, the material damage is beginning to be restored.   

Leandro Grass, head of the Brazilian heritage institute Iphan, said most of the artworks and cultural artifacts damaged during the pro-Bolsonaro riots have already been restored.

Iphan, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace published a report in March on the restoration measures taken in the aftermath of the riots, which affected buildings hosting all three branches of the Brazilian government. Iphan has restored what was possible, but some items, such as tapestries, may not be repaired and may be left as is, in remembrance of the anti-democratic attack, said Mr. Grass. 

In addition, the International Council of Museums and Iphan created the “Red List” in February, which contains photos of examples of objects protected by law and at risk of trafficking, in order to combat the smuggling of Brazilian cultural objects, such as sacred art, fossils, archaeological pieces, books, and maps.

In the political sphere, the damage may take more time to repair. Yesterday, both houses of Brazil’s Congress launched a joint parliamentary inquiry into the riots, led by a select committee comprising 16 senators and 16 lower house members.

Congressional inquiries, commonly referred to as CPIs in Brazil, make up for their limited powers with their very public nature, being more suited to political point-scoring than actual accountability.

Although the pro-Bolsonaro rioters proudly documented their actions with photos and videos posted on social media — many of which have been used as evidence against them — far-right politicians hope that the inquiry will allow them to recast the events of January 8 as a largely peaceful demonstration that was derailed by infiltrated leftist agent provocateurs.

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