Brazil: Ex-President Bolsonaro faces coup charges, allegedly plotted to coup, kill supreme court justice
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro arrives for a luncheon with senators from his support base at the National Congress building in Brasilia, Brazil, on Tuesday. (Eraldo Peres / The Associated Press)
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been formally charged with attempting a coup following his 2022 election defeat.
Brazil’s chief prosecutor has filed five charges against the 69-year-old, accusing him of trying to block his successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, from taking office.
Among the explosive allegations, Bolsonaro is accused of orchestrating a plot to poison President Lula and assassinate Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. He has denied all wrongdoing, calling the charges a politically motivated attack.
The Supreme Court will now decide whether to accept the prosecutor’s recommendations. If approved, Bolsonaro and 33 others will face trial. This comes after he was banned from running for office for eight years due to claims that he undermined democracy by falsely alleging the 2022 election was rigged.
Bolsonaro left Brazil for the U.S. two days before Lula’s inauguration, never conceding defeat. On January 8, 2023, his supporters stormed government buildings in Brasília, leading to mass arrests. In November 2023, federal police released a report naming Bolsonaro as the mastermind behind an attempted coup, claiming he sought military support to overturn the election.
The formal charges, including “armed criminal organization,” implicate Bolsonaro, his former vice-presidential candidate Walter Braga Netto, and military allies in a coordinated attempt to subvert democracy.
Public reaction remains deeply divided, with government supporters calling for his imprisonment, while Bolsonaro’s allies insist he is a victim of political persecution. The Supreme Court is expected to move forward with the trial later this year.
