BRAZIL’S former leader, Jair Bolsonaro, has been charged for allegedly leading a deadly plot to poison the current President.
The scheme, codenamed “Green and Yellow Dagger”, sought to tear down the Brazilian democracy and replace it with a new order, according to prosecutors.
ReutersFormer Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been accused of leading a ‘criminal organization’ and attempting to overthrow the government[/caption]
ReutersThe plot allegedly involved poisoning the sitting President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva[/caption]
GettyA week after Lula took power in January 2023, violent riots broke out against government buildings in the capital Brasília[/caption]
The bombshell allegations are the sum of a two-year probe into the activity of Bolsonaro, 69, since he lost the 2022 Presidential elections.
He is accused of riling up a furious movement to reject the result in the wake of his defeat.
This culminated in violent riots in Brazil‘s capital, Brasília, in January 2023, a week after Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office.
A baying mob of Bolsonaro’s supporters attacked government buildings, wreaking havoc in the Supreme Federal Court and the National Congress Palace amongst other targets.
Lawyers for Bolsonaro – who had hoped to re-run in 2026 – have denied his involvement or support for any coup movement.
Analysts believe it is unlikely Bolsonaro will be detained before his trial, unless the Supreme Court judge in the case decides there is a risk he will flee.
MURDEROUS PLOT
Bolsonaro and his cronies hatched a plan to commandeer all three branches of government and poison the current President, according to the charge sheet.
Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet said the alleged plot also involved shooting dead Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes – an old foe of the former President.
Bolsonaro and his running mate, General Walter Braga Netto, have been charged with spearheading a “criminal organization” to ensure he remained in power.
A total of 34 people were charged over the alleged plot, including high-ranking military officials from Bolsonaro’s administration.
The group allegedly masterminded a scheme from the Presidential Palace to whip up anger and encourage a mob to attack democratic institutions.
Gonet wrote that the accused sought to “bring down the systems of the powers and the democratic order”.
The prosecutor alleged that then-President Bolsonaro saw the plans and gave them his backing.
The charge sheet said: “The responsibility for acts harmful to the democratic order falls upon a criminal organization led by Jair Messias Bolsonaro, based on an authoritarian project of power.”
AFPThe alleged plot was called ‘Green and Yellow Dagger’, after Brazil’s colours that Bolsonaro often appears in[/caption]
GettyBolsonaro’s supporters clash with security forces as they raid the National Congress in January 2023[/caption]
APProsecutors claim the riots were the intended culmination of Bolsonaro’s plot[/caption]
A previous 884-page report from Gonet, filed in November, alleged the outgoing government tried to destabilise the entire system by sowing distrust.
This mistrust was meant to boil over in the capital riots and allow Bolsonaro to stay on as leader.
The report claimed that a decree giving legal cover to the plan was even drafted, and that military officials were pressured into adopting it.
NEXT STEPS
The Supreme Court will now consider the charges against Bolsonaro and, if it accepts them, then he will stand trial.
Vera Chemim, a constitutional lawyer in Sao Paulo, said: “There’s a 99% chance that the Supreme Court will accept the charges.
“But to convict Bolsonaro, the Supreme Court will need robust evidence.”
His lawyers have two weeks to officially respond to the charges before the Supreme Court decision.
If the trial goes ahead, it is likely to be highly-dramatic and publicly televised.
If convicted of attempting a coup, Bolsonaro could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, according to the country’s penal system.
Bolsonaro’s defence team said it received news of the charges with “dismay and indignation”.
They said in a statement that the former President has never agreed to any movement aimed at deconstructing the democratic rule of law or the institutions that underpin it.
He has repeatedly denied breaking any laws, and branded the case against him a “witch hunt”.
Bolsonaro is already barred from running again for President until 2030, and now the possibility of a return to the top looks increasingly unlikely.
Two sources close to the former president said he has little hope the courts will rule in his favour.
Instead, his allies hope to mobilize political support to increase the pressure on courts and lawmakers to clear a path for his comeback.
On Tuesday, hours before the charges were presented, Bolsonaro met with opposition senators to discuss a bill that would reduce the length of time offending politicians are barred from elections.
Timeline of alleged coup
January 1, 2019 – Jair Bolsonaro takes office
October 2, 2022 – General elections held in Brazil, and Bolsonaro loses
December 30, 2022 – Bolsonaro leaves Brazil for the US
January 1, 2023 – Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva takes office as President
January 8, 2023 – Major riots on government buildings in the capital
November, 2024 – Brazil’s Federal Police file a report detailing the alleged scheme
February 18, 2025 – Charges brought against Bolsonaro and 33 others for an alleged coup plot
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