BREAKING: Brazilian police retake Congress, Presidential Palace and Supreme Court buildings stormed by rioters

Colombo (News 1st) - Brazilian police have arrested over 200 people and retaken key government buildings on Sunday that were stormed hours earlier by far-right supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Riot police fired tear gas to clear the rioters, many of whom were wearing national colours and waving Brazilian flags and launched the co-ordinated attacks across the capital Brasilia. Rioters were seen on live TV smashing windows and destroying property inside the buildings in scenes reminiscent of the attack on the U.S. Capitol in Washington two years ago.

Former President Bolsonaro, living in self-imposed exile in the United States after losing last month's election, finally issued a late condemnation of the violent takeover, many hours after the violence began.

Left-wing socialist Lula Da Silva, who had earlier been president from 2003-11, won the election and returned to power after being imprisoned by Bolsonaro, whose alleged links to corrupt corporations resulted in a sharp drop in popularity during his presidency.

World leaders condemned the assault on government buildings, including U.S. President Joe Biden, and a host of European and Latin American leaders.

U.S. President Biden Tweeted: "I condemn this assault on democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil. Brazil's democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined."

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: "The will of the Brazilian people and the democratic institutions must be respected!"

The European Union's top foreign affairs official, Josep Borrell, tweeted that he was "appalled by the acts of violence and illegal occupation of Brasilia's government quarter by violent extremists."

President Lula Da Silva quickly received support from leaders across Latin America. Mexican President Andrés López tweeted: "Lula is not alone, he has the support of the progressive forces of his country, of Mexico, of the American continent and of the world."

Chilean President Gabriel Boric condemned the violence as "a cowardly and vile attack on democracy". Argentine President Alberto Fernandez condemned what he called "a coup attempt".