International
Ex-Brazil President, Bolsonaro Charged Over 2022 Coup Plot
- Bolsonaro charged with attempting a coup after losing the 2022 election.
- Brazil’s Supreme Court to decide whether he and 33 others face trial.
- Former president denies wrongdoing, calling it political persecution.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been formally charged with attempting a coup to overturn the 2022 presidential election results.
The country’s chief prosecutor has accused the 69-year-old of leading a coordinated effort to prevent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office after a highly contested race.
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Bolsonaro faces five charges linked to the alleged plot, which will now be reviewed by Brazil’s Supreme Court. If the court accepts the charges, he and 33 others will be put on trial. The former president denies any wrongdoing, claiming he is a victim of political persecution.
Bolsonaro was banned from running for public office for eight years after he was found guilty of undermining democracy by spreading false claims that Brazil’s electronic voting system was vulnerable to fraud. Lula, commonly known as Lula, won the election by a razor-thin margin.
Bolsonaro never publicly conceded defeat and left Brazil for the United States just two days before Lula’s inauguration. His supporters later stormed government buildings in Brasília on January 8, 2023, in a violent attack that led to widespread destruction and the arrests of 1,500 rioters.
Three months ago, Brazil’s federal police released a report accusing Bolsonaro of orchestrating a coup attempt, including proposing the idea to senior military officials. Prosecutors now allege that Bolsonaro led a “criminal organization” responsible for undermining the democratic process.
One of the most serious charges involves leading an “armed criminal organization,” allegedly in coordination with his former vice-presidential candidate Walter Braga Netto, as well as military and civilian allies.
“Allied with other individuals, including civilians and military personnel, they attempted to prevent, in a coordinated manner, the result of the 2022 presidential elections from being fulfilled,” Attorney General Paulo Gonet Branco said in a statement.
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Brazilian media reports suggest that the Supreme Court is expected to move forward with the trial later this year. The case has deepened the political divisions that have defined Brazil over the past decade.
Government supporters argue that Bolsonaro must be held accountable, while his allies insist he is being unfairly targeted. Meanwhile, attention is turning to how the Supreme Court’s decision will influence the political landscape ahead of next year’s presidential election.
Despite his legal troubles and disqualification from running, Bolsonaro remains a dominant figure in Brazilian politics.
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