JUST IN: Brazil Indicts Pro-Trump Ex-President For Questioning Election Results
In a move similar to the Biden Administration’s prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump, federal authorities in Brazil announced that former President Jane Bolsonaro and 36 of his aides have been indicted on charges of organizing a “coup attempt” after the presidential election in 2022. Bolsonaro, a right-leaning politician, has denied claims that he organized a “coup” against leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, an anti-American figure who has pulled Brazil towards Russia and China.
After Bolsonaro was narrowly defeated, he held a number of rallies in which he argued that the election was stolen due to widespread voter fraud. He opted not to use the military to challenge the results, defying calls from some hardliners.
Trump and Bolsoanro meet at the G-20 Summit in 2019.
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About a week after Lula took office, supporters of Bolsonaro trashed the nation’s Supreme Court Building in a protest similar to the January 6 Capitol protests. A number of protesters have been sentenced to decades in prison for what amount to petty vandalism and trespassing charges, while hundreds more are expected to stand trial.
In one instance, Débora Rodrigues dos Santos, a mother of two who had no prior offenses, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for writing “you lost, loser” on a statute outside the Supreme Court building.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has emerged as a key ally of Lula’s and has orchestrated a campaign of censorship of intimidation against his political opponents. Moraes was most recently involved in a spat with X owner Elon Musk as he sought to ban the platform in the country.
On Thursday, the Associated Press reported that the findings from the investigation into Lula’s political opponents would be delivered to Brazil’s Supreme Court on Thursday, where they will then be referred to Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet, who will decide whether to throw out the investigation or agree with the charges and put Bolsonaro on trial.
Bolsonaro has faced an avalanche of legal threats from the Lula government since his defeat. In June of last year, Brazilian electoral judges voted to bar the former president from running for office for eight years, claiming that he presented a threat to the nation’s democratic institutions. The decision was made with four out of seven votes by the Superior Electoral Court.
Federal authorities have also charged Bolsonaro with fraudulently seeking a COVID-19 vaccination card and brought separate charges in connection with an alleged bribery scheme involving Saudi officials.
On Tuesday, federal authorities arrested four military officials and a federal police officer, who have been accused of plotting a coup that included plans to overthrow the government following the 2022 election. They are also accused of plotting to allegedly kill Lula and other top officials.
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