A man with explosives died Wednesday trying to enter Brazil’s Supreme Court in what appeared to be a suicide, officials said.
“This citizen approached the Federal Supreme Court, tried to enter, failed, and the explosion happened at the entrance,” Brasilia governor Celina Leao told reporters.
Early indications are that this was a suicide, and no one else was hurt, she said.
The man’s body was found outside the court after two explosions occurred.
The first one was from a car in the square outside the court. The second one happened when the man tried to enter the court, and this blast killed him, the governor said.
The incident occurred ahead of a G20 summit taking place next Monday and Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro that will gather leaders from around the world.
After that summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to stay on in Brazil, going to Brasilia for a state visit.
The supreme court said in a statement that two loud explosions rang out at the end of Wednesday’s session and that the judges were safely evacuated.
The court is located in the Praca dos Tres Poderes (the Place of the Three Powers), which also fronts onto the presidential palace and the Congress.
The presidential palace was sealed off as a large police contingent patrolled the plaza. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was not in the palace at the time of the explosions, a spokesman said.
Federal police referred to the blasts as “attacks” and said they were investigating.
The identity of the man killed was not immediately identified because his body still had suspicious objects around it, the governor said.
She added that “we confirm that it appears to be a lone wolf” incident.
The area involved was the scene of high drama last year.
On January 8, 2023, the seats of power in Brasilia were hit by an insurrection a week after Lula defeated the right-wing incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro at the polls.
Thousands of Bolsonaro supporters angry over his defeat stormed the government buildings, causing major damage.