Brazil probing possible bomb placed outside Supreme Court

Police in Brazil are investigating a possible bomb threat placed in a backpack outside the Supreme Court in Brasilia, three days before presidential elections. The suspect, who was arrested, attempted to breach the court's fences and throw the backpack onto a bus stop. Police have restricted access to the area, where an AFP journalist reported observing around a dozen patrol cars.

A bomb squad is en route to the site, and authorities plan to conduct a thorough inspection of the object. Tense election campaigning is underway in Latin America's largest democracy, with polls showing a close race between incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who could face off in a runoff. The Supreme Court has faced criticism from the political right, particularly over the 2025 conviction of former leader Jair Bolsonaro for plotting a coup.

The institution has also been embroiled in a massive fraud scandal. In November 2024, a man killed himself in a bombing outside the tribunal, and the court was targeted during right-wing rioting on January 8, 2023, when Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings, which the Supreme Court deemed an attempted coup against Lula's victory.