Former President Bolsonaro's coup trial opens in Brazil
The trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is set to begin, with charges that he plotted a coup d'etat and led a 'criminal organisation' to overturn the result of the October 2022 election, in which he was narrowly defeated by current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The country's Supreme Court is expected to hear testimony from high-ranking military and political figures from Monday over the next two weeks.
The 70-year-old far-right leader, a former army captain, who governed Brazil from 2019 to 2022, could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted.
Bolsonaro denies the allegations, claiming he is a victim of 'political persecution'.
More than 80 witnesses are set to testify via videoconference, including Generals Marco Antonio Freire Gomes and Carlos de Almeida Baptista Junior, who served as commanders of the army and air force under Bolsonaro.
In previous statements to federal police, both men said Bolsonaro had 'raised the hypothetical possibility' of using legal means to annul the 2022 election and justify a military intervention.
According to prosecutors, the alleged plot included plans to declare a state of emergency, hold new elections and assassinate President Lula.
A 900-page federal police report details the scheme, which prosecutors say ultimately collapsed due to a lack of support within the military.
The charges also encompass the January 8, 2023 riots in Brasília, when thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace one week after Lula's inauguration.
Though Bolsonaro, a close ally of United States President Donald Trump when they were both in power, was in the US at the time, prosecutors argue he backed the violence, calling it the 'last hope' of those seeking to overturn the election.
Seven of Bolsonaro's former aides are being tried alongside him, including four former ministers, a former navy commander, and the head of Brazil's intelligence services during his presidency.
This marks the first time a Brazilian president has faced coup charges since the end of the military dictatorship in 1985.
Bolsonaro, who has often expressed admiration for that era, is already banned from holding public office until 2030 after making claims about Brazil's electronic voting system.
Despite the ban, Bolsonaro has indicated a desire to return to politics. But speaking to UOL last week, he likened the charges to a 'telenovela scenario' and warned that a conviction would be a 'death penalty, political and physical'.
Bolsonaro was heavily criticised when he was Brazil's leader during the COVID-19 pandemic and when his policies and spread of misinformation contributed to the nation having the highest overall death toll in Latin America, and the second highest in the world after the US, from the coronavirus.
Earlier this month, he was recently discharged from hospital after undergoing major abdominal surgery, the latest in a series of procedures stemming from a stabbing attack in 2018.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
11 minutes ago
- Washington Post
What to know about Bolsonaro's trial now that he has testified over an alleged coup plot
SAO PAULO — Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro has finally testified before the country's Supreme Court over an alleged plot to remain in power and overturn the 2022 election result. After Bolsonaro and 33 allies were charged in February with five counts related to a plan to remain in power, a five-Justice panel of Brazil's top court opened a first trial for eight of them, including the former leader.
Associated Press
18 minutes ago
- Associated Press
What to know about Bolsonaro's trial now that he has testified over an alleged coup plot
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro has finally testified before the country's Supreme Court over an alleged plot to remain in power and overturn the 2022 election result. After Bolsonaro and 33 allies were charged in February with five counts related to a plan to remain in power, a five-Justice panel of Brazil's top court opened a first trial for eight of them, including the former leader. Judges will hear from 26 other defendants in coming months. The former president has repeatedly denied the allegations and said he is the target of political persecution, but kept a soft tone in his testimony on Tuesday. The case stems from a Jan. 8, 2023 riot, when the Supreme Court, Congress and the Presidential Palace in Brasilia, the capital, were stormed by thousands of Bolsonaro supporters. Police say the uprising — which came after current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was sworn in — was an attempt to force military intervention and oust the new president. If convicted for the alleged coup, Bolsonaro could be sentenced to up to 12 years. When combined with the other charges, the accused might face decades behind bars. The case might not be over even after a conviction by the panel, which Bolsonaro can appeal before Brazil's Supreme Court full panel. Here's what is next in the trial: Testimonies The testimonies of the eight defendants is the final stage of the evidence collection phase, but their attorneys are allowed to request additional searches to help their case. Legal experts have said it is unlikely that Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the presiding judge and a member of the panel, will allow it. The evidence phase will be deemed complete once de Moraes decides on all requests. Final allegations Fifteen days after the collection phase is finished, Brazil's attorney-general will be allowed to present his final allegations. The attorneys of the defendants will get the same chance. Each of those allegations are expected to take several hours or even days. This needs to be completed before July, when Brazil's Supreme Court enters its recess until August. As soon as the final allegations stage is completed, the sentencing phase starts. Sentencing A Supreme Court panel of five judges will decide whether Bolsonaro and his allies are guilty or not. The judges who will decide the future of Brazil's former president are de Moraes, Cármen Lúcia, Cristiano Zanin, Flávio Dino and Luiz Fux. All of them had public battles with Bolsonaro. De Moraes was the primary judge in several cases against the far-right leader, while Zanin and Dino joined the court as Lula's appointees. Lúcia and Fux were also targets of Bolsonaro during their respective tenures chairing the electoral court and the Supreme Court. Should Bolsonaro be convicted, these judges will also decide his penalty. What if he's found guilty Bolsonaro would still be able to appeal to Brazil's Supreme Court full panel. Brazil's top prosecutor could do the same if the former president is not convicted on all counts. Before any potential jail time, Bolsonaro's lawyers could further delay the conclusion of the trial by asking for clarifications on the decisions of each judge. Legal experts have said all these steps are likely to be concluded by the end of the year. ___ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
Hamilton Spectator
25 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Argentine Supreme Court upholds 6-year prison sentence for ex-President Fernández
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina's highest court upheld a six-year prison sentence for former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in a ruling Tuesday that permanently banned her from public office over the corruption conviction that found she had directed state contracts to a friend while she was the first lady and president. The explosive Supreme Court ruling left Fernández, Argentina's charismatic yet deeply divisive ex-leader, subject to arrest and sent her supporters pouring into the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina's capital, and blocking major highways in protest. The court asked Argentina's security ministry to set up a detention center to hold 72-year-old Fernández. Her defense lawyer Carlos Beraldi told C5N, a television station in Buenos Aires, that he had requested Fernández be allowed to serve her sentence in house arrest given her age. The ruling bars Fernández from running in this fall's Buenos Aires legislative elections just days after she launched her campaign. Fernández, who dominated Argentine politics for two decades and forged the country's main left-wing populist movement known as Kirchnerism, after her and her husband, former President Néstor Kirchner, rejects the charges as politically motivated. During Fernández's eight years in office (2007–2015), Argentina expanded cash payments to the poor and pioneered major social assistance programs. But her governments funded the unbridled state spending by printing money, bringing Argentina notoriety for massive budget deficits and sky-high inflation. Critics blamed Argentina's years of economic volatility on Fernández's policies, and outrage over successive economic crises and the country's bloated bureaucracy helped vault radical libertarian President Javier Milei to the presidency in late 2023. The ruling dealt a severe blow to Milei's opposition during a crucial midterm election year. He celebrated the ruling, writing on social media: 'Justice. Period.' Fernández was embroiled in multiple corruption scandals during her tenure. She was convicted in 2022 in this corruption case, which centered on 51 public contracts for public works awarded to companies linked to Lázaro Báez, a convicted construction magnate and friend of the presidential couple, at prices 20% above the standard rate ally in a scheme that cost the state tens of millions of dollars. The high court rejected Fernández's request for the court to review her prison sentence in March. In a resolution obtained by The Associated Press, the court said that the prison sentence 'does nothing more than to protect our republican and democratic system.' The Kirchner governments carried out 'an extraordinary fraudulent maneuver' that harmed the interests of the government and resulted in the embezzlement of roughly $70 million at the current exchange rate, the resolution said. Supporters of Fernández and her political movement blocked main roads into Buenos Aires and stormed the offices of Argentina's two main cable networks that are widely considered critical of the ex-leader, Channel 13 and Todos Noticias, smashing televisions, vandalizing cars and shattering windows. There were no injuries reported. Fernández rejected the decision, calling the court justices 'puppets' of those wielding economic power in the country. 'They're three puppets answering to those ruling far above them,' she told supporters in a rousing speech outside her party's headquarters. 'It's not the opposition. It's the concentrated economic power of Argentina's government.' Gregorio Dalbón, one of Fernández's lawyers, vowed 'to take this case to all international human rights organizations.' Fernández has questioned the impartiality of the judges. She claims her defense didn't have access to much of the evidence and that it was gathered without regard to legal deadlines. Fernández faces a series of other upcoming trials on corruption charges. ____ Associated Press journalist Sergio Farella contributed to this report. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
