Brazil: Thousands Attend Bolsonaro Rally Amid Coup Probe

Facts

• Supporters of former Brazilian Pres. Jair Bolsonaro gathered in São Paulo, the biggest city in the country, on Sunday to back the right-wing leader as he faces a federal probe into an alleged coup attempt, among other allegations.¹
• According to an estimate from a research group at the University of São Paulo, 185K joined in the rally on the main Paulista Avenue, with police reporting an even larger crowd.²
• Addressing his supporters, Bolsonaro dismissed coup allegations and claimed to be a victim of political persecution. He further called for an amnesty for hundreds of his supporters convicted for attacks on public buildings, stating that it was time to let Brazil move on.³
• Additionally, the former president arrived waving an Israeli flag in rejection of Pres. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's recent comments comparing the war in Gaza to the Holocaust.⁴
• Bolsonaro, whom the Brazilian supreme court has banned from running for office until 2030 for abusing his power during his 2022 presidential campaign, called for this protest last week on the X, formerly Twitter, platform.⁵
• Earlier this month, he had his passport seized for allegedly working on a draft decree to overturn the 2022 presidential elections, pressuring military chiefs to support a coup, and plotting to arrest a Supreme Court justice.⁶

Sources: ¹Daily Wire, ²Associated Press, ³BBC News, ⁴The Times of Israel, ⁵CNN and ⁶Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by The Brazilian Report. Even if the coup failed, accountability for what happened in Brazil isn't only a matter of justice but is crucial for the future of the country's democracy. The current investigation has revealed a coordinated, multi-pronged attempt by Bolsonaro and his accomplices to undermine the election's result. Despite the many similarities to the US Jan. 6 Capitol riots, the political influence of Brazil's military cannot be underestimated, and this is a concern that politicians must confront in the future.
• Right narrative, as provided by WSJ. You don't have to be a Bolsonaro supporter to see that Lula is using the judicial system as a means to punish his predecessor. Lula is a leftist career politician who was convicted on corruption charges before they were stunningly reversed by activist judges. Right-leaning figures across the nation are being censored, and checks and balances are being curtailed as the legal system is increasingly used as a weapon against opponents. We must be skeptical about charges against Bolsonaro in this environment.

Predictions