Brazil: Police Accuse Bolsonaro of Coup Plot

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Facts

  • 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.[1][2]
  • 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.[3][4]
  • 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 to press charges against the 37 individuals.[5][6]
  • In an interview with news outlet Metrópoles later that day, Bolsonaro said that he would wait for his lawyer to assess the report. He further criticized Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees this investigation.[4][7]
  • This comes as days after four military officers and a federal police officer were arrested over an alleged plot to kill Lula, Vice Pres. Geraldo Alckmin and de Moraes before Bolsonaro left office. Some outlets have claimed that police found evidence the former president had full knowledge of the plan, but this hasn't been confirmed.[5][8]
  • Earlier this year, Bolsonaro was accused of alleged money laundering and criminal association as well as of alleged fraud in forging COVID vaccine records for himself and other individuals. Last year, Brazil's electoral court banned him from running for office until 2030.[9][10]

Sources: [1]BBC News, [2]Al Jazeera, [3]O Globo, [4]CNN, [5]The Wall Street Journal, [6]Washington Post, [7]Agência Brasil, [8]Folha de S.Paulo, [9]FOX News and [10]The New York Times.

Narratives

  • Left narrative, as provided by Brasil de Fato. This may be just the first step toward holding Bolsonaro and his accomplices accountable for their coup attempt, but these recommended charges are great news because they indicate that investigators found enough evidence to believe they are guilty. It's shocking that a former president was behind a coup, and Bolsonaro eventually will end up in jail.
  • Right narrative, as provided by ZeroHedge. It'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 leftist lawfare.