Brazil's Bolsonaro echoes Trump by describing coup plot trial as a 'witch hunt'
'The evidence is clear: the defendant acted systematically, throughout his mandate and after his defeat at the polls, to incite insurrection and the destabilization of the democratic rule of law,' Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet said in a 517-long page document released late on Monday.
Bolsonaro is accused of seeking to overturn the 2022 election in which he was defeated by a left-wing rival.
'All the accusations are false. I never violated democracy or the constitution,' Bolsonaro said on X hours before Gonet submitted his final allegations. He said the trial was a 'witch hunt,' echoing a term used by U.S. President Donald Trump when he came to his South American ally's defense last week.
The prosecution accuses Bolsonaro of leading an armed criminal organization, attempting to stage a coup and attempting violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, aggravated damage and deterioration of listed heritage.
The defence will present its case shortly. Then the panel of Supreme Court justices that opened a trial against the former president will vote on whether to convict or acquit him. Experts expect that to happen in the second half of the year.
A coup conviction carries a sentence of up to 12 years. A conviction on that and other charges could bring decades behind bars.
The former president has repeatedly denied the allegations and asserted that he is the target of political persecution.
A lawyer for Bolsonaro did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump last week imposed a 50% import tax on Brazil, directly tying the tariffs to Bolsonaro's trial. The U.S. president has described Bolsonaro as a friend and hosted the former Brazilian president at his Mar-a-Lago resort when both were in power in 2020.
President Donald Trump said that Brazil 'is doing a terrible thing in their treatment' of Bolsonaro. He added that Bolsonaro 'is not guilty of anything, except for having fought for the people,' and compared the Brazilian's situation to his own.
Gonet formally charged Bolsonaro and 33 others in February in connection with an alleged coup days after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office.
Gonet said Bolsonaro's actions 'were not limited to a passive stance of resistance to defeat, but were a conscious effort to create an environment conducive to violence and a coup.' He added that 'the criminal organization documented almost all of the actions described in the indictment through recordings, handwritten notes, digital files, spreadsheets, and exchanges of electronic messages.'
The prosecution is also seeking convictions for several close allies of Bolsonaro, including his running mate during the 2022 election and former defense minister, Walter Braga Netto, ex-Justice Minister Anderson Torres and his aide-de-camp Mauro Cid.
Brazil's Supreme Court president, Justice Luís Roberto Barroso, said the U.S. 'sanctions' — a reference to Trump's tariffs — are based on 'an inaccurate understanding' of events.
'For those who didn't live through a dictatorship or don't remember one, it's worth remembering: there was a lack of freedom, torture, forced disappearances, the closure of Congress, and the persecution of judges. In today's Brazil, no one is persecuted,' Barroso said.
Bolsonaro, a former military officer who was known to express nostalgia for the country's past dictatorship, openly defied Brazil's judicial system during his 2019-2022 term in office.
He has been banned by Brazil's top electoral court from running in elections until 2030 over abuse of power while in office and casting unfounded doubts on the country's electronic voting system.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
12 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
DeSantis picks state Sen. Jay Collins to be Florida's lieutenant governor
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tapped Republican state Sen. Jay Collins to be his next lieutenant governor Tuesday. It's a closely watched appointment by the two-term governor, who can't run for reelection in 2026 and has been working to cement his legacy as his time leading the state winds down. If Collins, an Army combat veteran and nonprofit executive, decides to launch a bid to succeed DeSantis, the move could tee up another proxy fight between the popular GOP governor and President Donald Trump, who has already endorsed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds for the job. 'What I was looking for is someone that can be lieutenant governor that will help us deliver more wins for the people of Florida — and then also that is capable of serving and leading as governor, if that need were ever to arise,' the governor said during the news conference in Tampa, which Collins represents. Collins was sworn in minutes after the announcement, with his wife Layla and their two young sons at his side, while the governor and first lady Casey DeSantis looked on. Collins pledged to help deliver on DeSantis' agenda, which he said has made Florida the country's 'conservative proving grounds." "The goal is to help him finish the mission and keep Florida strong," Collins said of DeSantis, adding, 'you don't flinch when the next mission comes up. You just say, 'Yes, sir. Let's go.'' Born in Montana, Collins has talked openly about personal challenges he has overcome, including experiencing homelessness while in high school. He went on to join the Army Special Forces and ultimately lost a leg, but continued to serve five more years as a Green Beret using a prosthetic leg post-amputation, according to a campaign biography. Taking the stage Tuesday, Collins made light of the injury he sustained, saying he was proud to serve the country that afforded him so many opportunities. 'I want you to know that I've got my sleeves rolled up, I've got my running leg on, and we are ready to get things done,' Collins said. In recent years, Collins has served as the chief operating officer of Operation BBQ Relief, which deploys cooks and mobile kitchens to deliver hot meals in the aftermath of natural disasters. In June, Collins also flew to Israel to help support state-funded flights to evacuate Americans as Israel and Iran traded missile strikes. "Why would you want to go in to Israel when Iran is raining rockets down? Most people would take a pass on that," DeSantis said of Collins, calling him 'the Chuck Norris of Florida politics.' The seat had been vacant since February, when then-lieutenant governor Jeanette Nuñez was appointed to lead one of the state's public universities. In Florida, the lieutenant governor position is largely ceremonial with few official responsibilities, apart from taking over if the governor cannot serve. Collins was first elected to Florida's Republican-dominated state Senate in 2022 and has been seen as one of DeSantis' key allies in the Legislature. In recent months, GOP legislators loyal to the president have increasingly sparred with the governor, who challenged Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. The appointment is seen as a way for DeSantis to elevate a potential successor in 2026, though the governor has repeatedly talked up his wife, Casey DeSantis, for the job, while taking shots at Trump's pick. ___
San Francisco Chronicle
12 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
China cuts ties with Czech President Petr Pavel over his meeting with the Dalai Lama
PRAGUE (AP) — China's government said Tuesday that it has suspended all ties with Czech President Petr Pavel over his recent meeting with the Dalai Lama. Pavel met with the Tibetan leader on July 27 to congratulate him on his 90th birthday during his private trip to India. The Dalai Lama has been living in exile in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala since fleeing Chinese rule in Tibet in 1959. This meeting 'seriously contravenes the political commitment made by the Czech government to the Chinese government, and harms China's sovereignty and territorial integrity,' said a statement by a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman that was released by the Chinese Embassy in Prague. 'China strongly deplores and firmly opposes this, and has lodged serious protests with the Czech side. In light of the severity of Pavel's provocative action, China decides to cease all engagement with him.' The Czech presidential office hasn't immediately responded to that announcement. The Czech presidency is a largely ceremonial but prestigious post. China is maintaining ties with the Czech government as a whole. China views the Dalai Lama as a separatist. In exile, the Dalai Lama has managed to build a community that's kept the Tibetan culture and identity alive and has become one of the world's most recognizable figures while leading a Tibetan diaspora through their struggle for autonomy, and opposition of China's control of Tibet.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Philippines blames China for South China Sea collision in disputed waters
Philippines China Marcos MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine military on Tuesday blamed China for the collision of two Chinese navy and coast guard ships while trying to drive the Philippine coast guard and fishermen from a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. It said it would assess how to respond to Beijing's use of military force against civilians. Philippine authorities said Monday's accidental collision resulted in visibly heavy damages to the Chinese coast guard and navy ships and possible injuries. The confrontation near the Scarborough Shoal was the latest flare-up of the long-simmering territorial standoff in the contested waters, a long-feared flashpoint in Asia. The United States, a longtime treaty ally of the Philippines, on Tuesday condemned the 'latest reckless action by China directed against a Philippine vessel.' The Chinese coast guard on Monday blamed Philippine vessels for the confrontation and said it was forced to expel the vessels after they intruded into 'China's inherent territory,' despite warnings. It did not mention the collision or possible casualties. Video footage made public by the Philippine coast guard shows a Chinese navy ship with the bow number 164 slamming into the bow of a Chinese coast guard ship while both try to block and force a Philippine patrol ship, the BRP Suluan, away from Scarborough. The Chinese coast guard ship can be seen using its water cannon. The video shows the heavily shattered bow of the Chinese coast guard ship, where at least two Chinese personnel were seen standing shortly before the crash. The Chinese navy ship sustained deep dents and what appeared to be linear cuts on its hull. BRP Suluan offered medical help by two-way radio to the Chinese coast guard, fearing the collision may have caused injuries to its personnel, but the Philippine coast guard said it received no response. Gan Yu, a spokesperson for the Chinese coast guard in Beijing, said Monday that the Philippine vessels intruded into Chinese territorial waters off the shoal, prompting its forces to take 'necessary measures, including monitoring, forcing, intercepting and controlling the Philippine vessels to expel them.' The chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., told reporters in Manila that the video footage clearly showed that the Chinese navy ship maneuvered to ram the BRP Suluan, which had to move to avoid being hit. As a result, the Chinese navy ship instead hit the Chinese coast guard ship, which was also closely chasing the Philippine vessel, Brawner said. 'China's aggressive actions were very clear in this incident,' Brawner said. 'They were at fault because of their aggressive maneuvers. We were there to protect Filipino fishermen in the Scarborough Shoal. That was our only objective because that's our traditional fishing ground.' Asked if China's deployment of military force against civilians was a change in tactic, Brawner said it was. He said the Philippine military would assess how to respond in consultation with the coast guard and would seek guidance from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. 'Now they are deploying their PLA navy, and this is one symbol of China's aggressiveness,' he said, referring to China's People's Liberation Army. 'We'll discuss possible steps and our future tactics to counter China's actions to stop us from getting access (to Scarborough)." Chinese officials did not immediately comment on Brawner's statement but Gan Yu insisted its forces would be 'resolutely safeguarding China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.' ___ Associated Press journalist Huizhong Wu contributed to this report. Solve the daily Crossword
