Brazil’s prosecutor-general has officially charged former President Jair Bolsonaro with attempting a coup following his defeat in the 2022 presidential election. This unprecedented move signals a serious escalation in the legal battles surrounding the former leader.
Allegations of a sinister plot
On Tuesday, Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet revealed that Bolsonaro was allegedly involved in a conspiracy to poison Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his successor and current president. According to Gonet, the plot not only included plans to assassinate Lula but also aimed to kill Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a known adversary of Bolsonaro.
Gonet stated, “The members of the criminal organisation structured at the presidential palace a plan to attack institutions, aiming to bring down the system of the powers and the democratic order, which received the sinister name of ‘Green and Yellow Dagger.’ The plan was conceived and taken to the knowledge of the president, and he agreed to it.” These allegations were supported by an extensive report filed by Federal Police, which included 884 pages detailing the conspiracy.
Potential consequences and defenses
The purported scheme involved efforts to undermine public trust in Brazil’s electoral system, drafting a decree to lend legitimacy to their actions, and inciting riots in the capital to further their agenda. Should the Supreme Court accept the charges, Bolsonaro could face a trial that would assess these serious accusations.
In response to the charges, Bolsonaro vehemently denied any wrongdoing, asserting, “I have no concerns about the accusations, zero.” He further questioned the existence of any coup decree, stating, “Have you seen the coup decree, by any chance? You haven’t. Neither have I.” His defense team expressed shock and indignation at the allegations, emphasizing that Bolsonaro has never endorsed any movement aimed at destabilizing Brazil’s democratic institutions.
Flávio Bolsonaro, the former president’s son and a senator, criticized the indictment as baseless, claiming it served the interests of Lula’s administration. The potential penalties for Bolsonaro are severe; if convicted of attempting a coup and violently undermining democracy, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
The prosecutor-general’s office has indicated that the evidence against Bolsonaro includes manuscripts, digital files, and communications that outline the disruptive plan. Luis Henrique Machado, a criminal attorney and professor at IDP university in Brasilia, described the charges as “historic,” predicting that the Supreme Court would likely accept them and initiate a trial for Bolsonaro by the end of next year.