Brazil’s Supreme Court begins Bolsonaro coup attempts to litigate on the second day
Rio de Janeiro (AP) – A Brazilian Supreme Court panel reunited on Wednesday on the second day of its lawsuit to decide whether former Jair Bolsonaro and several close relatives would try five charges, including attempting a coup.
Five Supreme Court justices began the meeting around 9:50 a.m. in the capital Brasilia (1250 GMT).
In addition to the allegations of participating in the coup, Bolsenro and his alleged accomplices were accused of participating in armed criminal organizations in an attempt to abolish the violent abolition of democratic rule of law, characterized by violence and serious threats to state assets and the deterioration of listed heritage.
Prosecutor Paulo Gonet said Tuesday that those facing the charges tried to maintain Bolsonaro’s power “at all costs” – a multi-step plan that accelerated the multiple steps after losing incumbent President Luizinácio Lula Da Silva in the 2022 election.
Just like in February’s indictment against Bolsonaro and 33 other senators, Gonet said part of the Putsch plot included plans to kill Lula and Justice Alexandre de Moraes, which were under surveillance by so-called conspirators. Gonet said the plan was not just because the defendant failed to get the Army commander to join at the last minute.
“However, even after the elected president of the Republic was sworn in, the frustration prevented members of the criminal organization from giving up violent seizure of power,” Gonit said.
This is a reference to the riots on January 8, 2023, when a week after Lula took office, Bolsonaro’s tenacious supporters rushed in and destroyed the Supreme Court, the Presidential Palace and Congress. Gonet said rampage was the last attempt to sustain power.
The former president repeatedly denied misconduct and said he was politically persecuted.
Local newspaper O Globo reported that unlike the day before, Bolsonaro would not appear in the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
Bolsonaro once again denied the allegation when speaking at a reporter at Brasilia Airport on Tuesday morning.
“I always want justice. The federal police’s allegations of bias have not been confirmed,” Bolsonrow said, referring to the 884-page report filed in late November.
Under Brazilian law, a sentence of up to 12 years can be sentenced to a single coup conviction, but when combined with other charges, it can result in decades of sentences.
The allegations may be accepted, observers say.
The Supreme Court is analyzing whether to accept charges against Gonet’s eight out of 34 people who have been involved in the coup program.
In addition to Bolsonaro, the court will vote on allegations from his campaign partner in the 2022 election and the charges of former Defense Secretary Walter Braga Netto, former Attorney General Anderson Torres and Aide-De-De-Camp Mauro Cid. The court will decide the fate of others later.
