The information that the Government led by the Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, invited the Presidents of Portuguese-speaking countries to the festivities was confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo.
"So far, only the heads of state of Portuguese-speaking countries have been invited to the festivities of the bicentennial of Brazilian independence," the ministry said in a note.
Sources consulted by the Brazilian newspaper said that the invitation is related to the festivities in Brasília, including the parade.
The President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, should participate in the event in Brasília. There is still no confirmation on the presence of the other CPLP heads of state in the commemorations.
On Saturday, during the launch of the candidacy of his former Minister of Infrastructure Tarcísio de Freitas for the regional government of São Paulo, Jair Bolsonaro again summoned supporters for celebrations of the 200th anniversary of independence, on 7 September.
“On the 7th, I will be in Brasília in the morning, with the people on the street, with the troops parading. In the afternoon, I wanted to, as I was here last year (…) I know we are from São Paulo, but we are all Brazilians”, said Bolsonaro, at the event to confirm Freitas' candidacy held by the Republicans party, in São Paulo.
“I know you wanted it here, but we want to innovate in Rio de Janeiro. At 4 pm on September 7, for the first time, our Armed Forces and our sisters, auxiliary forces, will be parading on Copacabana beach alongside our people,” he added.
This was not the President's first statement calling on his supporters to take to the streets to commemorate Brazil's independence.
In his speech at the launch of his reelection candidacy on July 24, the Brazilian head of state called on his supporters to take to the streets "one last time" on that date and then attacked judges he considered to be acting against his reelection.
“We are the majority, we are good, we are willing to fight for our freedom, for our homeland. I call on all of you now so that everyone, on September 7, takes to the streets for the last time”, said the Brazilian President, at the Liberal Party (PL) convention, which confirmed his candidacy, on July 24.
“These few deaf people in black capes have to understand what the voice of the people is. They have to understand that those who make the laws are the executive and the legislative powers,” added Bolsonaro, indirectly referring to judges from the STF and the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), who he considers to be acting against him and his government.
Last year, the Brazilian President also called for acts of support for his Government on 7 September.
Speaking in São Paulo, at a protest organized on September 7, 2021, on Avenida Paulista, the central point of the city, Bolsonaro attacked judges who he considered acting against his government and even declared that he would no longer accept court orders from STF judge Alexandre de Moraes.
Two days later, amid strong pressure due to fears that his actions would lead to an institutional breakdown, the Brazilian head of state released a public letter written by former Brazilian president Michel Temer, in which he went back and said he had never had "no intention to harm any of the powers".
"That is why I want to declare that my words, at times blunt, came from the heat of the moment and from clashes that have always aimed at the common good," he added in the same document.
