Bolsonaro Indicted with 36 Others for Right-Wing Coup Attempt in Brazil

On Thursday, the Brazilian Federal Police charged former President Jair Bolsonaro along with 36 others with conspiring to forcefully topple the democratic government. This accusation follows the defeat of Bolsonaro by the leftist president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in the 2022 elections.

Police have submitted their final report to the Supreme Court, recommending that these 37 individuals be formally accused of attempting to violently overthrow the democratic state, staging a coup d’état, and forming a criminal organization, as stated in their official release marking the end of a two-year investigative period.

As reported by The New York Times, while Brazilian police can suggest who should be prosecuted criminally, they do not have the authority to directly indict Mr. Bolsonaro. It is now up to the nation’s chief federal prosecutor, Paulo Gonet, to decide whether to press charges against Mr. Bolsonaro, which would require him to appear before the Supreme Court.

The push for these charges follows the earlier arrests this week of four military members and a federal police officer. They were allegedly involved in a plot to assassinate Lula and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin prior to their inauguration, as well as Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The police uncovered what they called “Green and Yellow Dagger,” a detailed scheme planned for December 15, 2022, targeting the newly elected president and vice president.

According to CNN, the police claim that Bolsonaro was fully aware of the plans to prevent Lula and his administration from assuming office after his electoral victory.

Discussing the matter on social media, Bolsonaro remarked, “We need to see what this indictment by the Federal Police contains. I will wait for my lawyer.” He further criticized Moraes by stating, “He does everything that the law does not prescribe” and expressed distrust in a team “that uses creativity to accuse me.”

Bolsonaro has consistently denied any misconduct, despite facing other legal challenges. In March, he was charged with allegedly falsifying his COVID-19 vaccination records, and in July, he faced charges related to embezzlement concerning alleged misappropriation of diamond jewelry and other state assets. These charges followed a decision by Brazil’s highest electoral authority last year, which disqualified him from public office for eight years due to falsehoods spread about the 2022 elections.

Among the other 36 individuals indicted are key figures from Bolsonaro’s far-right administration, as reported by The Guardian. These include Bolsonaro’s former intelligence chief, Congressman Alexandre Ramagem; former Defense Ministers Gen. Walter Braga Netto and Gen. Paulo Sérgio Nogueira de Oliveira; former Justice and Public Security Minister Anderson Torres; former Minister of Institutional Security Gen. Augusto Heleno; former Navy Commander Adm. Almir Garnier Santos; the leader of Bolsonaro’s political party, Valdemar Costa Neto; and top foreign policy adviser Filipe Martins.

The list also names a right-wing blogger, the grandson of Gen. João Baptista Figueiredo, a military ruler during Brazil’s 1964-85 dictatorship, and Fernando Cerimedo, an Argentinian digital marketing expert closely associated with Bolsonaro and his politician sons.

Following his electoral defeat, Bolsonaro had traveled to the United States, apparently to evade legal repercussions. However, as noted by EL País, precautionary measures have since been implemented, including a travel ban and the seizure of his passport months ago.

Bolsonaro, often referred to as the “Trump of the Tropics,” recently celebrated the election victory of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Like his American counterpart, who faces legal challenges related to his attempts to overturn his 2020 electoral defeat, Bolsonaro’s reaction underscored the global implications of Trump’s victory, potentially bolstering right-wing and conservative movements worldwide.