Brazil’s Attorney General’s Office has officially charged former President Jair Bolsonaro in connection with an alleged plot to overthrow the 2022 election results. The charges, which now await formal approval by the Supreme Court, stem from an investigation based on a recommendation from Brazil’s national police.
Additionally, Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet filed charges against 33 other individuals, accusing them of various offenses, including participation in an attempted coup, involvement in an armed criminal organization, and violent efforts to undermine the rule of law. These details were revealed in a statement from Gonet’s office.
In November, authorities stated that Bolsonaro had “directly and actively participated” in the plot to overturn the election results, alongside his supporters. The police also claimed that Bolsonaro was aware of a potential plan by military personnel to assassinate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his election rival, along with Lula’s vice president and a Supreme Court justice.
Bolsonaro, who served as president from 2019 to 2022, denied these allegations. His defense team expressed shock and indignation, insisting that Bolsonaro had never been involved in any movement to subvert Brazil’s democracy.
On January 8, 2023, Bolsonaro’s supporters, refusing to accept Lula’s election win, stormed the Brazilian Congress, government buildings, and the Supreme Court in Brasília, causing significant damage. Several other legal proceedings are ongoing against Bolsonaro, including accusations that he illegally sold jewelry and luxury watches he received as gifts during a trip to Saudi Arabia for personal gain. He has also been accused of arranging forged vaccination passports for himself, his family, and his staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, though he continues to deny these charges.
(dpa/NAN)
