Bolsonaro convicted of Attempting Coup, Faces Potential Imprisonment
A majority of justices on Brazil‘s Supreme Court voted Thursday to convict former President Jair Bolsonaro of attempting a coup to remain in power after his 2022 election defeat to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The ruling is expected to exacerbate political divisions within Brazil and potentially draw a response from the United States.
three of five justices on the panel have voted to convict Bolsonaro on all five charges: attempting to stage a coup, being part of an armed criminal institution, attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, implication in violence, and posing a threat to national assets and heritage. Justice Carmen Lucia delivered the latest guilty vote on Thursday, following justice Luiz Fux’s dissenting acquittal vote on Wednesday.
With one justice still to vote, the panel will then determine Bolsonaro’s sentence, which could result in decades in prison. The 70-year-old former president is currently under house arrest and his legal team plans to appeal the verdict to the full 11-justice Supreme Court. Bolsonaro, who maintains his innocence, has not attended the proceedings, sending legal depiction in his stead.
The trial has deeply divided Brazil, with supporters and opponents demonstrating their views publicly. It has also attracted international attention, particularly after former U.S. President Donald Trump labeled the proceedings a “witch hunt” and suggested a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports in connection with the case. Observers anticipate potential U.S. sanctions against Brazil following the trial, further straining diplomatic relations.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes,overseeing the case,stated Bolsonaro was the central figure in a coup plot and a criminal organization. He voted in favor of conviction, as did Justice Lucia, who also found Bolsonaro guilty of organized crime related to the alleged coup attempt.
Despite the conviction and previous ban from running for office until 2030, Bolsonaro remains a importent political force in Brazil. He is expected to designate a successor to challenge President Lula da Silva in the next election, and his allies in Congress may attempt to secure amnesty for him. A sentencing debate is scheduled for Friday.
