Close on the heels of that victory is significant, new legal jeopardy for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. At the heart of the charges against him is his role in a conspiracy to overturn the outcome of his 2022 presidential election. Of the 34 people charged with five crimes, accusations include Bolsonaro. It is alleged that his actions were intended to directly benefit his father and mentor, Jair Messias Bolsonaro. In Brazil, this high-profile case has attracted national and international attention, especially given its impact on the current political crisis affecting Brazil.
Federal police have recently instituted punitive conditions on Bolsonaro. In addition to releasing him on bail, they have required him to wear an electronic ankle tag, citing fears he might flee the country. Authorities seized approximately $14,000 in cash from his home. Bolsonaro now says he planned to use it for personal expenditures and has receipts to prove it. Even so, the former president has dubbed the ankle tag as “the supreme humiliation.” As he concluded his remarks, he made it very clear: “I never considered leaving Brazil.”
Bolsonaro’s trial is more than just a case of political drama – it has important implications. If convicted of doing the insurrection orchestration, he could go to prison for more than 40 years. Serious accusations against Bolsonaro thus are the keystone of the prosecution’s case. They accuse him of conspiring with his son, Eduardo, to work with the U.S. government to impose these sanctions on Brazilian officials, sinking the country’s economy in the process.
Adding insult to injury is the recent disclosure of a secret July 2019 meeting between Bolsonaro and then-U.S. State Department official, Michael Kozak. Yet this encounter has raised alarms. Now Brazil’s Supreme Court is accusing Bolsonaro of conspiracy in colluding with foreign elements.
In a bold response, Bolsonaro went to Twitter. He went on to thank former U.S. President Donald Trump, along with other allies and supporters, for standing by him during this chaotic chapter. He posted a letter from Trump to his new official X account, thanking him for his “eternal gratitude.” This seemingly simple gesture belies the complex web of international relations that is folded into Brazil’s domestic politics.
Bolsonaro’s alleged coup attempt included discussions that could potentially lead to violent outcomes, such as plans to assassinate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s current president and Bolsonaro’s vice president, along with a Supreme Court minister. The seriousness of these allegations is without question, as they pose a direct danger to the future of Brazil’s democratic institutions.
Lula responded to these developments by emphasizing the independence of Brazil’s judiciary, stating, “The judiciary branch of power in Brazil is independent. The president of the Republic has no influence whatsoever.” He further clarified that Bolsonaro’s trial is focused on the actions taken to organize a coup rather than a personal judgment against him: “He is being judged by the acts he tried to organize a coup d’etat.”
Even with all the building pressure, Bolsonaro continues to assert he did nothing wrong. He has been vocal about the charges against him, asserting, “I’m not a criminal; the criminal is the one persecuting me.” In response to concerns that he may attempt to flee Brazil, he dismissed such suspicions as exaggerated: “Damn it, I’m a former president of the republic – I’m 70 years old.”
Legal experts think that this trial could set an important precedent. It will help hold political leaders in Brazil accountable as never before. Bolsonaro is now subject to 18 different charges which, if found guilty, could see him receiving significant sentences. Look for this case to lead the headlines in the coming months.
