São Paulo, Brazil – Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 others were indicted Thursday by Federal Police in connection with an alleged coup plot to overthrow Brazil’s democracy. Authorities have accused the group of violent overthrow of the democratic rule of law, coup attempt and criminal conspiracy.
The investigation, now concluded, accuses a network of individuals of orchestrating efforts to keep Bolsonaro in power after his defeat by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the October 2022 election.
Among the defendants are key figures from Bolsonaro’s administration between 2019 and 2022, including retired army general Walter Braga Netto, Bolsonaro’s 2022 candidate and former defense minister; retired Army General Augusto Heleno, former head of Institutional Security; Anderson Torres, former Minister of Justice; Alexandre Ramagem, former director of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency; and Valdemar Costa Neto, president of Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party.
The Federal Police claim that the suspects operated through six coordinated units to share responsibilities. One of them, for example, focused on spreading false narratives about Brazil’s electoral system, while another tried to recruit military officers to join the coup attempt. A separate intelligence cell reportedly monitored Supreme Court judges and other authorities, gathering information to support decisions aimed at enabling the alleged plot.
Investigators allege that Bolsonaro has personally participated in efforts to disrupt the democratic transition, including spreading false claims about Brazil’s electoral process and encouraging his supporters to engage in anti-democratic activities.
The case is built on evidence obtained through court-authorized wiretaps, access to digital records, witness cooperation agreements and materials collected during the nearly two-year investigation.
The final report, comprising over 800 pages, has been submitted to the Federal High Court. The court will now seek the opinion of the Attorney General’s Office before deciding whether to proceed with formal charges and a trial. If Bolsonaro is convicted, he could face up to 28 years in prison.
This investigation is separate from ongoing investigations into the January 8, 2023 riots in Brasília, where Bolsonaro supporters attacked government buildings. These acts, while distinct, may have been fueled by the hate speech and misinformation propagated by some of the individuals indicted this week.
Bolsonaro is already involved in numerous legal battles. He had already been charged in the Saudi gifts scandal and for allegedly falsifying COVID-19 vaccination records. In June last year, he was convicted by the Electoral Court of inciting attacks and disinformation against elections in Brazil, for which he will not be eligible until 2030.
