“I strongly condemn the attacks on the Supreme Court and the House of Representatives,” he said in a statement posted on X.
“We need to understand the motivation behind the attacks and rebuild peace and security as quickly as possible.”
Images published by news agencies showed the deceased man lying in an area outside the court, with police cordoning off the area.
A police spokesman told AFP: “We can confirm that there is a body in front of the Supreme Court,” but gave no further details.
Brasilia’s deputy governor, Celina Leao, told reporters the explosion occurred after a man approached the court entrance and was unable to enter, and recommended parliament be closed on Thursday while the investigation continues.
“It could have been a lone wolf like the other wolves we’ve seen around the world,” she told reporters, according to the Associated Press.
“Because there was only one victim, it is being treated as a suicide. But whether that is true will be revealed through investigation,” he said.
One witness said he saw a man waving at him before throwing an explosive at the Supreme Court building.
“I was at the bus stop and this guy just waved and said hello and didn’t say anything,” Lavana Costa told TV Globo.
“Then I heard a noise. I looked around and saw fire and smoke. The Supreme Court (STF) security guards came… and he had already thrown something at the Statue of Justice.”
“As the STF guard approached, he threw something again, which exploded and fell to the ground.”
The Supreme Court previously said in a statement that the building was evacuated as a “precautionary measure” after hearing an explosion. He added that the judges were quickly and safely evacuated after just finishing the plenary session.
The court is located in Plaza de los Tres Poderes, across from the Plaza de la Presidential Palace. Local media reported that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva left the area shortly before the explosion.
The explosion occurred a week before Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the capital after the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Last year, the square became the scene of mass disorder after supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro ransacked buildings in a bid to prevent him from losing the election to Lula.
