New charges accuse Bolsonaro of running spy ring from Brazil's presidential palace
Federal police have formally accused Brazil's former far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, of presiding over an illegal spying network which allegedly snooped on political rivals, journalists and environmentalists during his administration.
Bolsonaro is already facing the prospect of jail time over his alleged role in masterminding a military coup plot designed to help him keep power after losing the 2022 election to the leftwing veteran Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. There is broad consensus among analysts that Bolsonaro's conviction is a foregone conclusion and the 70-year-old populist is expected to face arrest in the coming months once a supreme court trial concludes.
The latest accusations relate to a two-year federal police investigation into suspicions that a 'parallel' intelligence agency was set up during Bolsonaro's 2019-23 administration in order to monitor those considered government foes.
On Tuesday police accused Bolsonaro's alleged former spy chief, Alexandre Ramagem – who ran Brazil's intelligence agency, Abin, from 2019 to 2022 – of running the clandestine operation and accused more than 30 others of being involved, including the president's politician son Carlos Bolsonaro.
The news website G1 said investigators had concluded that under Bolsonaro members of Abin 'formed a criminal organization in order to monitor people and public authorities, invading mobile phones and computers'.
Some of the information gathered was allegedly provided to a covert social media team that operated within the presidential palace and allegedly used illegally collected information as ammunition to launch online attacks.
The targets reportedly included four supreme court ministers and powerful politicians including the former president of Brazil's lower house, Arthur Lira, and the then governor of São Paulo, João Doria, a prominent right-wing rival to the president.
Journalists and public servants were also reportedly spied on, including Hugo Loss, a respected member of the environmental agency, Ibama, who was on the front line of efforts to protect the Amazon at a time when illegal loggers and miners were emboldened by Bolsonaro's anti-environment rhetoric and climate denial.
Loss had worked closely with Bruno Pereira, the Indigenous expert and former government employee who was murdered in the rainforest region three years ago this month with the British journalist Dom Phillips.
The newspaper O Globo said police believed the Bolsonarista spy network was created in order 'to make it possible for Bolsonaro to remain in the presidential chair'.
Bolsonaro, his son and Ramagem made no immediate comment on the accusations but have previously denied such charges.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
The Interview Muhammad Yunus: We dream of creating a new Bangladesh
Rajini Vaidyanathan, BBC News presenter and correspondent, speaks to Muhammad Yunus, interim leader of Bangladesh. The 84-year-old is perhaps one of the world's best-known Bangladeshis. Described as the banker to the world's poor, he gained international recognition as a Nobel prize-winning economist, who founded the Grameen microfinance bank, which delivered small loans to economically deprived people. It was a model applauded by many and is one which now operates across more than 100 countries worldwide. But it's also a model which was criticised by his political rival - Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who accused Mr Yunus of sucking blood from the poor. Her government made a series of allegations against him, including embezzlement, all of which he denies. And it was the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina's government last August that saw Muhammad Yunus thrust into the political spotlight. Student-led protests saw thousands take to the streets in an uprising against her Awami league government, which was accused of election rigging, human rights abuses and jailing critics. When Ms Hasina fled to neighbouring India, student leaders picked Muhammad Yunus to unite a divided nation. As well as promising to stamp out corruption, he's also faced the challenges of managing a refugee crisis on his doorstep and navigating cuts to foreign aid. So, after nearly a year in the job, how is he faring? The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Rajini Vaidyanathan Producer: Ben Cooper Editor: Nick Holland Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@ and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Image: Muhammad Yunus. Credit: Reuters/Yves Herman)
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Nursing student detained by ICE after cop noticed she had 'a bit of an accent' during routine traffic stop
A college student was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers after a cop noticed she had 'a bit of an accent' during a routine traffic stop. Caroline Dias Goncalves, 19, was pulled over on the Colorado Interstate 70 on June 5, accused of driving too close to a semi-truck. The University of Utah nursing student complied with the officer, identified as Investigator Alexander Zwinck, by handing over all of her documentation and paperwork. In bodyworn camera footage seen by Zwinck told Goncalves he would let her off with just a warning, asking: 'Where are you from? You have a bit of an accent.' Goncalves answered: 'I'm from Utah.' Zwinck asked how long she'd been living in Utah and whether she was 'born and raised there', to which she cautiously answered: 'No. I was born in, um, gosh I always forget the town.. down in Brazil.' 'My parents moved here,' she added. Zwinck appeared unfazed by her answer, moving on to ask her questions about her boyfriend, her weekend plans and her dreams of becoming a nurse. After explaining to her once again that he was giving her a warning which would not require any following up, he sent her on her way, wishing her safe travels and urging her to give semi trucks on the road a little more space. But minutes after the friendly interaction, Goncalves was pulled over again by ICE agents as she exited the freeway, and taken into custody. The Mesa County Sheriff's Office has since revealed that Zwinck was part of a group chat with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners which was used to improve multi-agency cooperation to stem the drug trafficking trade. 'We were unaware that the communication group was used for anything other than drug interdiction efforts, including immigration,' the statement read. 'We have since removed all Mesa County Sheriff's Office members from the communication group.' The Sheriff's Office has since learned that federal agents within the group chat have been using the information gathered and shared there for the purposes of ICE enforcement. 'This use of information is contradictory to Colorado law and was initially intended for the purpose of reducing illegal drug trafficking in Colorado,' the statement read. 'Unfortunately, it resulted in the later contact between ICE and Miss Dias Goncalves.' Goncalves is now being held in Denver Detention Facility. She is one of 2.5 million Dreamers in the United States, referring to undocumented migrants who were brought to the US as young children. It is understood her family arrived in the US on a tourist visa, which they overstayed. Her father then applied for asylum, and that case is pending. Goncalves earned a coveted national scholarship, which allows undocumented youth to help finance college. While her asylum claim was pending, she had been granted temporary rights to work. A GoFundMe set up by a friend to help Goncalves' family cover legal costs associated with her detention has already raised $25,000. 'Caroline has always followed the law, passionately pursued her education, and dreamed of a future full of opportunity,' the fundraising page reads. 'Yet she now finds herself unlawfully detained, frightened, and far from the safety and support she deserves.' Goncalves' detention is the latest stunning case as President Trump puts pressure on ICE agents to conduct sweeping arrests and deportations. This week, he directed federal immigration officials to prioritize deportations from Democratic-run cities. He added that to reach the goal officials 'must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America's largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside.' Trump's declaration comes after weeks of increased enforcement, and after Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and main architect of Trump's immigration policies, said ICE officers would target at least 3,000 arrests a day, up from about 650 a day during the first five months of Trump's second term. At the same time, the Trump administration has reportedly directed immigration officers to pause arrests at farms, restaurants and hotels amid concern about the impact aggressive enforcement is having on those industries.
The Independent
10 hours ago
- The Independent
Argentine tribunal allows ex-President Fernández to serve corruption sentence at home
A federal court on Tuesday granted former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's request to serve a six-year prison sentence for corruption at her home in Buenos Aires. Judges ruled that Fernández, 72, can serve time in the apartment where she lives with her daughter and her granddaughter, citing her age and security reasons. Fernández was the victim of an attempted assassination attempt three years ago.
