New revelations: Jair Bolsonaro faces new accusations of attempted coup in Brazil
Legal troubles continue to pile up for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. A parliamentary committee gave the green light for the transmission of a report, including new accusations against him, to the Brazilian justice system. Among the charges is that of attempted coup d’état.
After in-depth examination of a report of more than 1,300 pages, the attorney general will have to decide whether or not to indict the former president (2019-2022). Four crimes are mentioned in particular: attempted coup d’état, attempted violent abolition of the rule of law, political violence and criminal association. If Jair Bolsonaro is convicted, he faces up to 29 years in prison.
The parliamentary commission, made up of 32 deputies and senators, voted with a majority of votes in favor of the accusations. The former president is judged responsible for attacks perpetrated against institutions, notably during the riots of January 8 in Brasilia. Bolsonarist rioters then ransacked places of power, calling for military intervention to overthrow the left-wing president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The report also calls for the indictment of 61 civilian and military figures, including former ministers of Jair Bolsonaro. The damage caused during the January violence was considerable, sadly reminiscent of the assault on the Capitol in Washington by supporters of Donald Trump in January 2021.
This series of accusations comes in addition to the ongoing investigation by the Federal Supreme Court, which made Jair Bolsonaro ineligible for eight years due to an “abuse of political power”. Additionally, the former president was recently questioned by federal police as part of an investigation into WhatsApp conversations involving businessmen advocating a coup.
This report thus highlights the multiple scandals and controversies surrounding Jair Bolsonaro. Its opponents hope that an independent justice system will be able to shed light on the events and establish everyone’s responsibilities. To be continued…