Police accuse 37 people of crimes including conspiracy and trying to tear down one of world’s largest democracies
Summary
Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro and 36 others have been charged by federal police with conspiracy and attempting to overthrow the country’s democracy through a right-wing coup.
The accused include top allies, such as former defense ministers and intelligence officials.
The charges follow an investigation into efforts to dismantle the constitutional state, backed by evidence from financial records and plea deals.
This comes days after arrests in a separate plot to assassinate President Lula da Silva and other officials.
Bolsonaro denies involvement in the 2022 election conspiracy.
On 30 June 2023, the Brazilian Superior Electoral Court barred Bolsonaro from running for public office until 2030 as a result of his attempts to undermine the validity of Brazil's 2022 democratic election, as well as for abuse of power with regard to using government channels to promote his campaign
In February 2024, the Brazilian Federal Police raided former government officials and ordered Bolsonaro to hand in his passport over accusations that he and his allies tried to overturn the results of the 2022 election and planned a coup d'état.[180] In March 2024, witness documents released by the Superior Electoral Court were made public. According to two military officials, Bolsonaro had plotted to overturn the 2022 results and presented top military officials a plan to carry out a coup with the goal of keeping him in power.
Lula is in power but the far-right threat to his administration remains. Last Wednesday night, a member of Bolsonaro’s political party was killed after apparently blowing himself up with homemade explosives while attacking the supreme court.
During a search of the man’s trailer, police reportedly found a cap emblazoned with the slogan of Bolsonaro’s far-right movement: “Brazil above everything. God above all.”