Backers of Brazil's Bolsonaro hold mass protest in Sao Paulo
SAO PAULO: Former president Jair Bolsonaro said Sunday he was prepared to 'change Brazil's destiny' as he addressed thousands of supporters in Sao Paulo, even while facing decades in prison for allegedly attempting a coup.
The divisive far-right figure called for the demonstration on a major thoroughfare of South America's largest metropolis, seeking 'justice' as he battles the charges.
'Those who accuse me may have many trump cards up their sleeves, but I have three things on my side that they don't have: God, freedom and the support of a large part of the Brazilian population,' Bolsonaro told the crowd, many of whom were clad in the green-and-yellow of the Brazilian flag.
The former president has called for several demonstrations since the start of the legal proceedings against him, and attendance has dwindled in recent months.
The University of Sao Paulo estimated about 12,400 people took part in Sunday's gathering on Paulista Avenue, a sharp drop from the 45,000 who took part in April and the 185,000 estimated to have marched for Bolsonaro in February.
The former army captain dreams of emulating Donald Trump's return to the White House, despite being banned from holding public office until 2030 over his attacks on Brazil's electronic voting system.
Bolsonaro nevertheless spoke of next year's general elections, placing particular emphasis on the legislative ones.
'Give me 50 percent of the deputies and senators, and I'll change Brazil's destiny,' boomed Bolsonaro, wearing a blue tracksuit as he addressed cheering supporters.
Unlike on previous occasions, the 70-year-old did not explicitly present himself as the conservative camp's candidate for the 2026 presidential elections.
'I'm not obsessed with power, I'm in love with my country,' he said.
'I don't need to be the president,' he added. 'If I remain honorary president of my party, we can do what you want.'
'Whatever he wants'
The demonstration follows a hectic several weeks for the embattled ex-leader.
During a key phase in his Supreme Court trial earlier this month, he denied involvement in an alleged coup plot to wrest back power after leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva narrowly beat him at the ballot box in October 2022.
The prosecutor's office said the plot, which envisaged the assassination of Lula and other authorities, failed to materialize due to lack of support from the senior military command.
Bolsonaro has rejected any wrongdoing, and he did so again Sunday, claiming the cases are politically motivated to prevent him from making a comeback in the 2026 elections.
'They did the same thing with me as with Marine Le Pen,' he told AFP, referring to the French far-right leader who was convicted of embezzlement in March and barred from running in elections for five years.
On Sunday, Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas, tipped as a potential candidate to represent the conservatives in the 2026 presidential election, offered full-throated support for Bolsonaro, calling him 'the greatest leader in the history' of the country.
President Lula -- whose popularity remains low -- has yet to announce whether or not he will run for another term.
Valdemar Costa Neto, president of Bolsonaro's Liberal Party (PL), said it was time the party beefed up its political ground game.
'Bolsonaro must be present at this type of demonstration to show the judiciary that the people are with him,' the leader said.
'As long as he's honorary president of the PL, we'll do whatever he wants, because the votes belong to him.'
Some bystanders were unimpressed by the pro-Bolsonaro protest.
'This guy, who wanted to blow up Brasilia and kill his political opponent, should go to prison,' said Dionisio Teixeira, a record seller on Paulista Avenue, which on Sundays is transformed into a pedestrian zone.
'I don't know how people can still come here to defend him.'
On January 8, 2023, thousands of Bolsonarists took over power centers in the Brazilian capital and demanded a military intervention to oust Lula from power one week after his inauguration.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Iran decries ‘destructive' conduct by IAEA chief
TEHRAN: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that Tehran halted cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog due to what he called the agency chief's 'destructive' behaviour towards the Islamic republic, his office said Monday. 'The action taken by parliament members... is a natural response to the unjustified, unconstructive, and destructive conduct of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency,' Pezeshkian told Macron in a phone call late Sunday, according to a presidency statement. On Wednesday, Iranian lawmakers voted in favour of a bill to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, citing Israel's June 13 attack on the Islamic republic and later strikes by the United States on nuclear facilities. A ceasefire between Iran and Israel took hold on June 24. Since the start of the war with Israel, Iranian officials have sharply criticised the agency for failing to condemn the strikes. Iran has also criticised the watchdog for passing a resolution on June 12 accusing it of non-compliance with its nuclear obligations. In a Sunday post on X, Macron said he called for 'respect for the ceasefire' and a return to negotiations to address 'ballistic and nuclear issues.' He further called for 'the swift resumption of the IAEA's work in Iran to ensure full transparency.' On Monday, France, Germany, and Britain condemned what they called 'threats' against the IAEA chief Rafael Grossi after Iran rejected its request to visit nuclear facilities bombed during the war. None specified which threats they were referring to, but Iran's ultra-conservative Kayhan newspaper recently claimed documents showed Grossi was an Israeli spy and should be executed. Iran has said Grossi's request to visit bombed sites signalled 'malign intent' but insisted that no threats were posed against Grossi or the agency's inspectors. On Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the Iranian parliament's decision to halt cooperation with the IAEA reflected the 'concern and anger of the Iranian public opinion.' He further criticised the United States and European powers for maintaining what he described as a 'political approach' toward Iran's nuclear programme during his weekly press conference. Baqaei also questioned how the safety of IAEA inspectors could be ensured while the extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear facilities -- targeted by Israel and the United States during the 12-day war -- remains unknown. 'One aspect of this issue is how to ensure the safety and security of the agency's inspectors, in a situation where there is still no accurate assessment of the severity of the damage,' he said.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
France court jails migrant smugglers over 2022 Channel deaths
LILLE: A French court Monday sentenced seven Afghans and two Iraqi Kurds to seven to eight years in jail over the deadly capsizing of a boat carrying migrants from France to England in 2022. The small boat had departed France early on December 14, 2022, carrying people from Afghanistan, Albania, India and Senegal. Four people died and four went missing after the boat capsized a few kilometres from the English coast with only one of the bodies identified -- an Afghan man. Rescuers saved 39 people from the shipwreck. A court in the French city of Lille sentenced three men to eight years behind bars. They included an Afghan being tried in absentia and thought to be the mastermind of the smuggling operation. It handed the rest seven-year sentences over the disaster, including two Afghan brothers accused of financing the operation. A tenth man who is being held in Belgium is to be tried at a later date. A British court has already sentenced a Senegalese minor who drove the boat to nine years in jail, French prosecutors said. According to the investigation, several people heard a loud bang that sounded like the boat had been punctured before the departure. The smugglers told the passengers not to worry and that the boat was the only one available for the crossing. But the sea was rough and there were not enough life jackets for all the passengers -- those who died were not wearing any, according to the testimony of survivors. After one or two hours the boat filled with water and panicked passengers stood up to get the attention of another ship, but the hull of the capsizing boat burst under the weight of the water. All the passengers fell into the freezing sea. The 2022 accident was one of the deadliest in the Channel in recent years. In November 2021, another deadly incident killed 27 people off the French coast, in a case that has not yet gone to court. At least 17 people have died attempting the perilous Channel crossing from France to Britain this year, after a record 78 lost their lives last year.
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Spanish judge orders remand in jail for PM's ex-ally in graft probe
Former Spanish Socialist lawmaker Santos Cerdan arrives to testify before a Supreme Court investigating judge in an alleged corruption case affecting the ruling Socialist Party in Madrid, Spain, June 30, 2025. REUTERS/Juan Medina MADRID (Reuters) -A Spanish Supreme Court's investigating judge on Monday ordered remand in custody for ex-senior ruling Socialist party official Santos Cerdan in a corruption inquiry that could destabilise Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's fragile minority government. The court said there would be no bail for Cerdan. The Cerdan case was the latest and most serious in a series of scandals that have left Sanchez having to apologise and fend off calls from opponents for snap elections. Judge Leopoldo Puente is investigating allegations against Cerdan, former Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos and the latter's aide Koldo Gacia that they received kickbacks for awarding public works contracts. Cerdan, who resigned earlier this month from his position as the Socialist Party's third-ranking official and lawmaker, denies the charges. His resignation followed Puente's statement citing "strong evidence" of Cerdan's possible involvement in the "improper awarding" of contracts. (Reporting by Emma Pinedo, editing by Andrei Khalip and Aislinn Laing)
