Facing possible prison, Brazil's ex-president Bolsonaro seeks to rally faithful
Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro called for his supporters to rally on Sunday in his defence, as he faces decades in prison if convicted of plotting to cling to power despite losing the 2022 election.
Brazil needs all of us. It's for freedom, for justice,' the far-right former president (2019-2022) said on social media, urging his supporters to march along Sao Paulo's Paulista Avenue, a key thoroughfare of Latin America's largest metropolis.
'This is a call for us to show strength … this massive presence will give us courage,' he declared on Saturday night on the AuriVerde Brasil YouTube channel.
The demonstration – which had drawn crowds of
Bolsonaro supporters by midmorning on Sunday – 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 Inácio Lula da Silva narrowly beat Bolsonaro at the ballot box in October 2022.
Brazil's police have also called for Bolsonaro to be separately charged with illegal espionage while president, along with his son.
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Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro called for his supporters to rally on Sunday in his defence, as he faces decades in prison if convicted of plotting to cling to power despite losing the 2022 election. Brazil needs all of us. It's for freedom, for justice,' the far-right former president (2019-2022) said on social media, urging his supporters to march along Sao Paulo's Paulista Avenue, a key thoroughfare of Latin America's largest metropolis. 'This is a call for us to show strength … this massive presence will give us courage,' he declared on Saturday night on the AuriVerde Brasil YouTube channel. The demonstration – which had drawn crowds of Bolsonaro supporters by midmorning on Sunday – 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 Inácio Lula da Silva narrowly beat Bolsonaro at the ballot box in October 2022. Brazil's police have also called for Bolsonaro to be separately charged with illegal espionage while president, along with his son.
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