Brazil's ‘lipstick coup' protester jailed for 14 years for defacing statue during riot
A woman in Brazil has been sentenced to 14 years behind bars — all because of a message written with lipstick.
Debora Rodrigues, a 39-year-old hairdresser, made headlines after she joined the chaotic pro-Bolsonaro riots in Brasília in January 2023. As per a report by BBC, amid the mayhem, Rodrigues famously wrote 'You lost, idiot' across the statue of Justice outside the Supreme Federal Court — an act now dubbed the 'lipstick coup'.
Justice Cristiano Zanin, one of five judges overseeing her case, was quick to point out she wasn't on trial just for the graffiti. Rodrigues was convicted of a long list of charges: destruction of property, membership in a criminal organisation, and involvement in an attempted coup.
'I went to the protests and I didn't imagine that they would be so turbulent,' she told the court. 'I have never done anything illegal in my life.' Her lawyers argued she acted 'in the heat of the moment' and hadn't even entered any buildings — but the court wasn't buying it, as per the BBC report.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes said Rodrigues had 'consciously and voluntarily' joined the plot to topple the government, noting suspicious gaps in her phone data.
Her case has since become a rallying cry for Bolsonaro supporters, who claim she's a victim of political persecution. Even Bolsonaro chimed in, reposting a call for amnesty on X.
Bolsonaro is also facing criminal proceedings over the alleged coup attempt. If found guilty he faces over 40 years in prison.
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