Brazil’s ‘Jan. 6’ is a hit to democracy – but could it also bolster it?

Windows smashed, the halls of Congress destroyed, and hundreds of furious citizens storming the country’s capital to fight what they say was a stolen presidential election: This might seem a recap of the Jan. 6 insurrection in the United States. Instead, almost exactly two years later, Brazil witnessed an uncannily similar event over the weekend, throwing the stability of its democracy into question and presenting tall hurdles for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva just one week into his new term.

For months, political analysts have warned that Brazil could...