Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) secured a majority to convict former President Jair Bolsonaro, with three of the five commission ministers voting to find him guilty of attempting a coup to remain in power after his defeat in the 2022 elections.
The verdict is historic: it marks the first time a former Brazilian head of state has been tried for attempting to overthrow the government.
The 70-year-old right-wing leader, who governed Brazil from 2019 to 2022, and seven alleged co-conspirators faced charges ranging from coup conspiracy, attempting to overthrow Brazil’s democratic order, and participation in an armed criminal organization.
Minister Cármen Lúcia’s guilty vote on Thursday secured the necessary majority to convict Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro, who has been under house arrest since August, also faces additional charges related to the riots in Brasília on January 8, 2023. On that day, Bolsonaro supporters invaded government buildings after his defeat in the 2022 elections to leftist leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, causing material damage and destroying historic items.
The trial is set to continue until Friday, when the final vote will be cast and the sentence announced. But with the majority already secured, Bolsonaro and his co-defendants—including three former generals and the former Navy chief—are on track for conviction and could face up to 40 years in prison.
The judge leading the case, Supreme Federal Court Minister Alexandre de Moraes, delivered his guilty verdict first, with nearly five hours of evidence and arguments on Tuesday. Moraes, long seen as an enemy of Bolsonaro, was widely expected to convict him—and did not hold back in his decision. Bolsonaro’s allies view the conduct of the trial and Moraes’ broader crackdown on disinformation in Brazil as harsh. In response, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Moraes, revoked his U.S. visa, and imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian products.
Moraes accused Bolsonaro of orchestrating efforts to undermine democracy, repeatedly calling him the “leader of a criminal organization.” He said Bolsonaro began laying the groundwork for a coup in 2021, spreading disinformation about Brazil’s electoral system and encouraging actions that led to the January 8, 2023 protests in Brasília.
“This was not drafted in secret by terrorists,” Moraes said. “It was written at the seat of the Brazilian government while Bolsonaro was in office.”
While Moraes and two other ministers pushed for the former president’s conviction on all charges, on Wednesday Minister Luiz Fux argued for his acquittal on the five charges. He took 13 hours to read his dissent and said the case should be considered by the full Supreme Federal Court (STF) plenum, composed of 11 members—arguments that could be used by Bolsonaro’s defense to appeal a final verdict.
Bolsonaro has consistently denied the charges. His lawyer, Celso Villardi, argued there is no evidence linking him to a coup plot. A final session to debate the sentence will be held on Friday. The former president’s lawyers said he will appeal the guilty verdict. The other defendants also denied the charges.
The case has severely damaged Brazil’s relations with the U.S. A strong ally of Bolsonaro, Trump called the trial a “witch hunt” when his administration imposed the 50% tariff on Brazilian products in August.
Questioned on Tuesday about possible new sanctions, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said there are “no additional actions to announce,” but emphasized that the issue remains a priority for the administration.
“This president is not afraid to use the economic and military might of the United States to protect freedom of speech around the world,” Leavitt said.
A former Army captain, Bolsonaro became Brazil’s first right-wing president since the end of the military dictatorship in 1985. His rapid rise from federal congressman to president in 2019 was as swift as it was brutal—surviving an assassination attempt in 2018.
Bolsonaro built a fiercely loyal support base as a deeply controversial figure, particularly during his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nicknamed the “Trump of the Tropics,” Bolsonaro championed gun rights, traditional family values, and more, while using social media with unfiltered bravado.
Since leaving office, he has faced numerous legal challenges, including abuse of power and falsifying COVID-19 vaccination records. In 2023, he was barred from holding public office until 2030 for spreading disinformation about Brazil’s electoral system.
Even so, he remains a powerful force: he garnered 49% of the vote in 2022 and still draws millions to the streets in his defense.
With Bolsonaro sidelined, his allies are now vying for his seat ahead of next year’s elections, betting that his influence will continue to shape Brazil’s political future.
Source: npr.org by Júlia Dias Carneiro