Bolsonaro presented plan to reverse 2022 election, Brazilian military leaders say
NPR Online NewsMar 09, 2024
In a statement issued on Thursday, Brazil's federal police formally accused former Pres. Jair Bolsonaro of plotting a coup d'état, trying to violently abolish the democratic rule of law and involvement in a criminal organization after his 2022 election loss.
Three dozen other men were also accused, including four former cabinet ministers, the former intelligence chief, the chairman of Bolsonaro's Liberal Party, military personnel, and a political consultant to Argentina's Pres. Javier Milei.
These recommended charges stem from a nearly two-year-long probe into alleged efforts to stop the inauguration of Pres. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2023. Now, it's up to Brazil's prosecutor-general to decide whether press charges against the 37 individuals.
ArrestThis may be just the first step toward holding Bolsonaro and his accomplices accountable for their coup attempt, but these recommended charges are great news as they indicate that investigators found enough evidence to believe they are guilty. Though shocking that a former president was behind a coup, he will eventually end up in jail.
PersecutionIt's hardly a surprise that Brazilian authorities have formally called for Bolsonaro and several of his allies to be charged with coup plot. As long warned, the right-wing Brazilian leader has been politically persecuted since his first day out of office in a blatant example of lawfare.