
Trial of former Brazilian President Bolsonaro on coup charges set to begin
More than 80 people -- including high-ranking military officers, former government ministers and police and intelligence officials -- are to testify in a preliminary trial phase expected to last at least two weeks.
Bolsonaro could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted of plotting to remain in office after leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had narrowly defeated him in the October 2022 elections.
Prosecutors say he led a "criminal organisation" planning to declare a state of emergency so new elections could be held.
The 70-year-old politician is already banned from seeking office until 2030 over his baseless criticism of Brazil's electronic voting system.
He also stands accused of being aware of a plot to assassinate Lula, his vice president Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes -- a Bolsonaro foe and one of the judges hearing the current case.
Bolsonaro has always denied any role in a coup attempt, blaming the charges on "political persecution."
Last week he told the Uol site that prosecutors were fabricating a "telenovela scenario," a reference to the melodramatic TV soap operas popular in Latin America.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Economic Times
11 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Xi Jinping losing his grip? Signs emerge of chaos in China's military and political circles
President Xi Jinping's absence from the BRICS summit sparks speculation of internal turmoil in China, despite official claims of a scheduling conflict. Experts suggest Xi may be facing challenges to his leadership and control, while widening rifts within BRICS, fueled by trade disputes and China-India tensions, further complicate the situation. Premier Li Qiang is attending instead. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Xi Jinping Skips BRICS Summit for First Time Experts See Signs of Turmoil at Home Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Premier Li Qiang Steps In Widening Rifts Within BRICS China-India Tensions Add Pressure FAQs Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads For the first time since it was started, Chinese President Xi Jinping is not attending the BRICS summit , a move that's raising speculations that something must be going terribly wrong within China, as per a official explanation from Beijing is simple, a 'scheduling conflict,' and that Xi had already met with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva earlier this year, but experts are convinced, as per Fox sudden absence from this week's gathering of major emerging economies in Brazil for BRICS is prompting questions about the stability of his leadership at home, according to the Fox News expert on US-China relations, Gordon Chang said, "That doesn't make sense," adding, "There are many other countries at the BRICS summit, not just Brazil. To me, it's extremely significant that Xi Jinping is not going. It suggests turbulence at home — there are signs he's lost control of the military and that civilian rivals are reasserting power. This is a symptom of that," as quoted in the READ: Keir Starmer on the way out? This surprise contender could be the UK's next Prime Minister According to a Fox News report, Premier Li Qiang is attending the summit in Brazil instead of Xi, continuing a recent trend of Xi scaling back his appearances on the global Burack of the Heritage Foundation also pointed out that Xi's absence might indicate deeper issues, saying, "It's another indication that BRICS is not going to be China's vassalization of the Global South," as quoted in the explained that countries like Brazil and Indonesia have recently imposed tariffs on China over industrial overcapacity and dumping, which reflect widening rifts within the group. Burack pointed out that, "China is actively harming all those countries for the most part, maybe with some exceptions, through its malign trade policies and dumping and overcapacity," as quoted by Fox READ: Nvidia just dropped a game-changer — CEO Jensen Huang calls it a miracle for AI supercomputing While a few analysts have also cited rising China-India friction as a possible reason for Xi's decision to not attend the summit, according to the pointed out that, "China has been at war with India for decades, essentially," adding, "These are fundamentally opposing interests. It's difficult to see China changing its behavior in the near term, and that will keep tensions high," as quoted by Fox to the report, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is expected to take a leading role at the summit, which could have been another deterrent for Xi's attendance. The author of The Red Emperor, a biography of Xi, Michael Sheridan said, Xi, as the Red Emperor, does not want to be overshadowed,' as quoted in the due to a scheduling conflict and because he already met Brazil's president this year. But many experts suspect political turmoil at unclear, but experts suggest he may be facing internal challenges or strategic shifts.


NDTV
25 minutes ago
- NDTV
"Witch Hunt": Trump, Brazil's Lula Clash Over Bolsonaro Coup Trial
Washington: US-Brazil relations slid into crisis Monday after President Donald Trump criticized the high-profile coup trial of his right-wing ally, ex-president Jair Bolsonaro. Trump accused Brazilian authorities of carrying out a "WITCH HUNT" against the 70-year-old firebrand, warning they should "LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE." His comments drew a quick and sharp rebuke. Brazil's leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva set diplomatic niceties aside and hit back at Trump's "interference," adding that "no one is above the law." Bolsonaro is facing trial, accused of leading a "criminal organization" that plotted a coup to keep him in power after his 2022 election loss. He faces up to 40 years in prison if found guilty. According to prosecutors, the alleged coup plot failed due to a lack of support from the military high command. The case carries echoes of Trump's prosecution over the January 6, 2021, attacks, when his supporters overran the US Congress to try to reverse his election loss. Trump pleaded not guilty, and the case was abandoned when he was reelected president -- giving him immunity from prosecution. Bolsonaro has similarly protested his innocence, while trying to rally supporters with a series of protests that have further polarized Brazilian politics. - Repercussions - The cases have drawn the Trump and Bolsonaro families together, with the Brazilian ex-leader's sons lobbying hard to have a Supreme Court judge hit with US sanctions and for Trump to weigh in. That effort now appears to have succeeded, with unclear repercussions for relations between the largest economies in North and South America. Bolsonaro's son Eduardo praised Trump's post and said it "would not be the only news coming from the United States in the near future." Trump addressed the case at length in a social media post and suggested Bolsonaro was the favorite in next year's election -- despite being banned from running because he spread misinformation about the voting system. "I have watched, as has the World, as they have done nothing but come after him, day after day, night after night, month after month, year after year!" Trump said in the Truth Social post. "It happened to me, times 10," Trump said. "I have gotten to know Jair Bolsonaro, and he was a strong Leader, who truly loved his Country -- Also, a very tough negotiator on TRADE," Trump said. Like Trump, Bolsonaro claims to be the victim of political persecution. Bolsonaro senior thanked Trump for his support and his defense of "peace, justice and liberty" in a social media post. Trump's comments came as Lula hosted representatives from China, Russia, Iran, and other nations for a BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro. Leaders attending the summit criticized Trump's tariffs and his bombing of Iran, drawing the US president's ire and a threat of 10 percent additional tariffs on each BRICS-aligned country. In a sign of how fraught US-Brazil ties are, Lula insisted BRICS members were independent and did not want an "emperor." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)


Hindustan Times
30 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Leave Bolsonaro alone': Donald Trump warns Brazil against ex-president's ‘witch hunt'
US President Donald Trump accused Brazil of carrying out a "WITCH HUNT" against his embattled right-wing ally Jair Bolsonaro Monday, telling Brazilian authorities to "LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE." Brazilian ex President Jair Bolsonaro is US President Donald Trump's embattled right-wing ally. (AFP/File Image) Bolsonaro is facing trial before Brazil's Supreme Court for allegedly leading a "criminal organization" that plotted a coup to keep him in power after his 2022 election defeat to leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. "I have watched, as has the World, as they have done nothing but come after him, day after day, night after night, month after month, year after year!" Trump said in a social media post. According to prosecutors, the alleged coup plot failed to materialize due to a lack of support from the military high command. Bolsonaro faces a possible sentence of up to 40 years in prison. He claims to be the victim of political persecution to prevent him from running for president next year, despite being barred from running until 2030 for spreading misinformation about the electoral system. The case carries echoes of Trump's own prosecution over the January 6, 2021 attacks, when Trump supporters overran the US Congress to try to reverse his election loss. Trump pleaded not guilty and the case was abandoned when he was reelected president. Bolsonaro's son Eduardo praised Trump's post and said it "would not be the only news coming from the United States in the near future." Trump's comments also came as Lula hosted representatives from China, Russia, Iran and other nations for a BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro. Leaders attending the summit criticized Trump's tariffs and his bombing of Iran, drawing the US president's ire and a threat of 10 percent additional tariffs on each BRICS-aligned country.