On the evening of November 13 (local time), a man committed suicide with a bomb outside the Brazilian Supreme Court after trying to enter the building, according to information from Brazilian authorities.
The explosion came just ahead of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro and a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Brasilia, raising security concerns.
According to Reuters, there were two explosions in succession, the first in the parking lot near the courthouse and then the second right in front of the main entrance of the building, where the suspect's body was found.
According to Celina Leao, deputy governor of Brazil’s Federal Region, initial information suggests that the man used explosives to kill himself after trying to enter the Supreme Court. She added that another explosion from the suspect’s car blew off the trunk. She said she hoped it was the work of a “lone wolf” but could not be completely sure.
Police have not yet officially identified the man because they are still dealing with the risk of explosives left on the body. The explosions took place in Brasilia's iconic Plaza de las Tres Powers, which houses the main buildings of Brazil's three branches of government.
This is also the site of riots on January 8 last year when supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro smashed buildings to protest the election results.
Immediately after the incident, the police force deployed a bomb disposal team and explosives disposal robot to the scene to investigate. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court judges had just finished a plenary session and were safely evacuated, according to the court's announcement.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also left the presidential palace on the evening of November 13, just a short time before the explosion occurred and was not affected by the incident.
