Bolsonaro Accused of Coup Attempt in Brazil
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 others have been formally accused of plotting a violent overthrow of the democratic state following his 2022 election defeat, Al Jazeera reports, citing Brazilian Federal Police.
The accusations, which will be reviewed by Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet, center around alleged conspiracy surrounding Bolsonaro’s narrow loss to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Among those accused alongside Bolsonaro are several former ministers: Defence Minister Walter Braga Netto, National Security Adviser Augusto Heleno, Justice Minister Anderson Torres, and Valdemar Costa Neto, head of Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party. The police findings will be submitted to the Supreme Court for consideration.
The investigation focuses on events leading up to and including the January 2023 storming of the presidential palace, Congress, and Supreme Court in Brasília by thousands of Bolsonaro supporters. The riots, which drew comparisons to the January 6th, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, saw some protesters openly calling for a military coup.
Police allege the accused planned to assassinate President Lula before his inauguration. Five individuals were arrested earlier this week on suspicion of involvement in a separate plot to kill Lula and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin; police identified most of the suspects as military personnel with special forces training or close associates of Bolsonaro. A police source, speaking to Reuters prior to the formal accusations, stated Bolsonaro was aware of the alleged coup plot.
Bolsonaro, a former army captain, denies any wrongdoing, claiming he is the victim of a political witch hunt. In a social media statement, he vowed to fight the charges legally, accusing the Supreme Court judge overseeing the case of exceeding his authority. He faces multiple other accusations, including smuggling diamond jewelry and falsifying COVID-19 vaccination records, all of which he denies.
The Supreme Court previously ruled in June 2022 that Bolsonaro abused his power by casting doubt on Brazil’s electronic voting system before the election, barring him from holding public office until 2030.
