BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — A panel of Supreme Court justices is set to decide this week whether former President Jair Bolsonaro is guilty of plotting to overthrow Brazil’s democracy and cling to power illegally after his 2022 electoral defeat.
The far-right ex-president is facing five counts at trial for allegedly conspiring to stage a coup after his narrow loss to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leftist who first won the presidency two decades earlier.
If convicted by the five-judge panel in the verdict expected Thursday or Friday, Bolsonaro could be sentenced to decades behind bars. Bolsonaro has always denied any wrongdoing, repeatedly calling the trial a politically motivated attack. Dozens of Bolsonaro loyalists gathered outside his Brasilia home, where they prayed for him, criticized the Supreme Court justice overseeing the case, and rallied for lawmakers to approve an amnesty for the ex-leader.
Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet stated that Bolsonaro led a multipronged plot to cling to power illegally, including casting doubt on the country’s electronic voting system and encouraging a January 8 riot aimed at forcing military intervention.
Bolsonaro's defense emphasizes that while planning was conducted, no emergency decree was ever executed to suspend the election results. The trial marks a historic moment, as top military officers and a former president face charges related to actions against democratic rule. Bolsonaro remains under house arrest and is deemed a flight risk, wearing an ankle monitor.
With tensions boiling, the outcome of the trial will have significant implications for Brazil's future and its relations with the United States. Meanwhile, thousands rallied in support of Bolsonaro, and his allies are also facing charges in connection with the coup plot. The tension around the verdict continues to rise as the nation awaits a decision from the Supreme Court.
The far-right ex-president is facing five counts at trial for allegedly conspiring to stage a coup after his narrow loss to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leftist who first won the presidency two decades earlier.
If convicted by the five-judge panel in the verdict expected Thursday or Friday, Bolsonaro could be sentenced to decades behind bars. Bolsonaro has always denied any wrongdoing, repeatedly calling the trial a politically motivated attack. Dozens of Bolsonaro loyalists gathered outside his Brasilia home, where they prayed for him, criticized the Supreme Court justice overseeing the case, and rallied for lawmakers to approve an amnesty for the ex-leader.
Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet stated that Bolsonaro led a multipronged plot to cling to power illegally, including casting doubt on the country’s electronic voting system and encouraging a January 8 riot aimed at forcing military intervention.
Bolsonaro's defense emphasizes that while planning was conducted, no emergency decree was ever executed to suspend the election results. The trial marks a historic moment, as top military officers and a former president face charges related to actions against democratic rule. Bolsonaro remains under house arrest and is deemed a flight risk, wearing an ankle monitor.
With tensions boiling, the outcome of the trial will have significant implications for Brazil's future and its relations with the United States. Meanwhile, thousands rallied in support of Bolsonaro, and his allies are also facing charges in connection with the coup plot. The tension around the verdict continues to rise as the nation awaits a decision from the Supreme Court.
