The judicial vice was still tightened around the former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, charged this Tuesday, February 18 for an alleged project of “coup” aimed at preventing the return to power of his successor Lula after the election From 2022. The announcement fell in the evening, the prosecution having detailed in a press release the indictment of the former far-right leader (2019-2022) and 33 Other suspects “accused of having encouraged and performed acts contrary to the three powers and the rule of democratic law”.
The accusation act justifying the charges has been given to the Supreme Court, which must now decide whether or not to open a trial. He specifies that the former head of state was charged as an alleged project of “coup d’etat”, “attempted violent abolition of the State of Democratic Law” and “Army Criminal Organization”. If a trial is open, Jair Bolsonaro will incur a sentence of 12 to 40 years’ imprisonment.
A triple assassination plan
According to the prosecution, this alleged conspiracy “had as leaders the president (Bolsonaro) and his candidate for the vice-president (Walter Braga Clean) who, allied with other individuals, civilians and military, tried to prevent, in a way coordinated, that the result of the 2022 presidential election is applied “.
“The investigations revealed (that the coup d’etat) envisaged until the death of the president and the vice-president elected, as well as (that) of a judge of the Supreme Court. This plan had the consent of the consent of the consent of the consent of the consent President “Bolsonaro, said the prosecution. An allusion to a triple assassination plan entitled “Green and yellow stabbing operation” (the colors of the Brazilian flag) which, according to investigators, was to be carried out by members of the army special forces, after the electoral victory of Lula at the end of October 2022 and before his inauguration on January 1, 2023.
The charge is based on an investigation report from the federal police, according to which the former president of Brazil “planned […] And took part in a direct manner “in this alleged coup d’etat project. This project has not succeeded” due to circumstances going against its will “, in particular the lack of support of the main leaders of the Brazilian army, According to this 800 -page report with evidence united for two years of investigation.
“Not at all worried”
The report also reports on the alleged involvement of the ex-president in the draft of a decree which would have justified the statement of the state of siege to cancel the election won against him by Lula at the end of October 2022. This decree provided, among other things, according to the investigators, the summons of new elections and the detention of judge Alexandre de Moraes, then president of the Higher Electoral Court (TSE).
A “last attempt” of coup took place on January 8, 2023, during the riots of Brasilia, when thousands of bowls ransacked the places of power in the capital, a week after the inauguration of Lula, stressed The prosecution. They were “encouraged” by the ex-president and the other members of the alleged conspiracy.
“The coup attempt in empty public buildings has turned into an empty accusation, without any evidence against Bolsonaro,” reacted his eldest son on the social network X, senator Flavio Bolsonaro. “I am not at all worried about these accusations,” said the ex-president on Tuesday to journalists, after a lunch with opposition leaders in Brasilia, a few hours before the announcement of his indictment.
The 2026 presidential election in sight
After the announcement of his charge, the defense of the former president said he was “amazed” and “indignant”, affirming in a statement that Jair Bolsonaro was “never” was linked to a “movement continuing the deconstruction of the rule of democratic law “.
Forbidden to leave Brazil since February, Jair Bolsonaro, 69, is ineligible until 2030 for disinformation on the electronic urns system used during the last ballot. However, he hopes to have this conviction canceled to present himself to the presidential election in 2026 against Lula, whose popularity is at half mast, according to a survey published last week by the DataFolha Reference Institute.
In December, federal police arrested the former Minister of Defense of Jair Bolsonaro, Walter Braga Clean, accused of hindering the investigation. He is one of the 34 suspects charged on Tuesday. General Augusto Heleno, who as minister of the institutional security firm was considered the gray eminence of President Bolsonaro, is also targeted. As well as Alexandre Ramagem, his head of intelligence services at the time.