Bolsonaro to Stand Trial
President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil. (Wikimedia Commons)
Brazil’s former President, Jair Bolsonaro, is set to stand trial for charges of an attempted coup following the 2022 presidential election.
Despite denying any wrongdoing, in November 2024, according to the Guardian, an 884-page police report was released detailing the far-right plot to overthrow the election of President Lula.
The document outlines a three-year conspiracy to allow the military to seize power amongst the chaos of orchestrated political polarization and fraudulent claims of electoral fraud. In all, the document implicated 34 people directly, all of which carry charges ranging from participation in an attempted coup, the creation of a criminal network, and efforts to topple one of the world’s largest democracies.
While the orchestrated coup never came to fruition, the effects of the disinformation campaign were evident. On January 8, 2023, hundreds of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the Supreme Court, Congress, and the presidential office in Brasilia.
The police eventually responded with tear gas and rubber bullets and regained control of the buildings later that day. The rioters were unable to achieve their goal of ousting the newly elected President Lula, who remains in office.
A little over two years later, on February 18, 2025, Bolsonaro was officially charged in connection with a coup attempt. The prosecutors allege Bolsonaro’s approval of the conspiracy, which included plans to assassinate incoming President Lula.
The charges were brought before the Supreme Court, the Primeira Turma, who unanimously voted on March 26 to accept them. This decision comes as little surprise as none of the five justices in the highest chamber are Bolsonaro appointees, leading many to believe the trial will end in conviction.
Alongside Bolsonaro, seven others are set to stand trial. This includes General Walter Braga Netto, Bolsonaro’s 2022 running mate and former cabinet member (2020–2022); General Paulo Sérgio Nogueira de Oliveira, defense minister from 2022 to 2023; General Augusto Heleno Ribeiro Pereira, Bolsonaro’s presidential security chief (2019–2023); Anderson Torres, former justice minister (2021–2023); Admiral Almir Garnier Santos, navy commander from 2021 to 2023; Alexandre Ramagem, director of the national intelligence agency (Abin) from 2019 to 2022; and Lieutenant-Colonel Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro’s former aide-de-camp.
The court is yet to set a trial date but the justices are pushing for it to end before 2025 wraps up. This is in an attempt to prevent overlap with the upcoming 2026 presidential election.
Although he is currently banned from seeking public office until 2030, due to his disinformation campaign concerning electoral fraud, he had announced plans to challenge this ban in hopes of running for a second term in 2026.
The consequences of both a conviction and acquittal could reverberate for decades to come. If convicted, Bolsonaro could face 12 to 40 years in prison, and he would be permanently banned from future elections.
In a region wrought with democratic instability, corruption, and a long history of coups, a successful criminal prosecution may signal a strengthening of democratic political institutions in Brazil. Furthermore, it has the capacity to reinforce electoral integrity as elections quickly approach.