SAO PAULO (AP) — Two top Brazilian military leaders declared to police that former President Jair Bolsonaro presented them a plan for him to remain in power after the 2022 election he lost, but both refused and warned him they would arrest him if he tried it, according to judicial documents released Friday.
The testimonies of Bolsonaro’s former Army and Air Force commanders to police, and released by the Supreme Court, include the first direct mentions of the right-wing leader as actively participating in a conspiracy to ignore the results of the October 2022 election won by his rival, current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The statements by military commanders during Bolsonaro’s term add to his legal woes as prosecutors seek to find links between the far-right leader and the Jan. 8, 2023 riots that trashed government buildings in the capital Brasilia one week after Lula’s inauguration.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a frequent target of Bolsonaro and the chairman of the investigation, authorized the release of the documents.
Is anyone surprised by this actually?
I am surprised by how closely it resembles Trump’s plan, right down to the insurrection date being only 2 days after Trump’s failed attempt.
Bolsonaro supporters might be if they had believed it. You know how it is with cult members and their Dear Leader…
I assume from your comment that you’re not Brazilian?
Bolsonaro supporters knew “military backed coup” was the plan since day 0 and had been actively asking for it. “coup” might carry a bad stigma elsewhere, but for Brazilian right wingers and boomers in general?
The “good old days” for them have a name and that name is “the military dictatorship years. Particularly the 70s which were the most repressive years of the dictatorship”. When saying anything slightly to the left of Hitler would get you disappeared and tortured to death.
(thanks for funding that, America!)
Bolsonaro’s entire brand was built on nostalgia for the dictatorship, his big call to fame was that during Dilma’s impeachment trial he made a salute to a dictatorship era officer that was known for being particularly psychotic on his victims
There wasn’t a single Bolsonaro supporter who didn’t know this was the plan, or that didn’t enthusiastically desire a coup.
Also also when Bolsonaro left the country in a feeble attempt to escape the consequences of his actions (he was forced to return a few months later) his fandom took to camping outside military bases, hoping the military would go ahead with the coup, Bolsonaro or no Bolsonaro. :3c
I am more surprised the Army and the Air Force noped out of that one. Not so much about the Navy’ s response though…
Why?
I was under the impression that Bolsorano had more support from the armed forces. I also always thought about Brazilian armed forces to lean more towards conservatism. But then again, I’m not Brazilian, so I don’t have the full context.
I was under the impression that Bolsorano had more support from the armed forces.
And so was he
