Former Brazilian President Charged In Alleged Plot To Poison Successor Lula

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been formally charged with allegedly orchestrating a coup plot to overturn the country’s democratic order. Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet claims Bolsonaro and 33 others conspired in a scheme known as “Green and Yellow Dagger,” which reportedly included plans to assassinate President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Bolsonaro, 69, has firmly denied the accusations, calling them baseless and politically motivated. If the Supreme Court accepts the charges, he could face trial and, if convicted, up to 40 years in prison.

Key Allegations:

-Coup Plot: Prosecutors allege Bolsonaro and associates attempted to undermine democratic institutions following the 2022 election, which he lost to President Lula. -Assassination Claims: The case includes accusations of a plot to kill Lula and Justice de Moraes. -Legal Consequences: If convicted, Bolsonaro could face decades behind bars.

Political Context

Bolsonaro has been under legal scrutiny since leaving office. In 2023, he was barred from running for public office until 2030 after a judicial panel ruled that he abused power and spread doubts about Brazil’s electronic voting system. The New York Times further reports on Bolsonaro’s formal charges for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to overturn the results of the 2022 election:

The accusations, laid out in a 272-page indictment, suggest that Brazil came strikingly close to plunging back into, in effect, a military dictatorship nearly four decades into its modern democracy. Attorney General Paulo Gonet Branco indicted Mr. Bolsonaro and 33 other people, including a former spy chief, defense minister and national security adviser, accusing them of a series of crimes against Brazil’s democracy. The charges essentially adopted recommendations from Brazil’s federal police made in November. The case will now go before Brazil’s Supreme Court, which will decide whether to order Mr. Bolsonaro’s arrest and have him face trial. If convicted, he could face 12 to 40 years in prison, according to the indictment, though political analysts expect any sentence to be shorter.

The charges against Mr. Bolsonaro are the latest chapter in a yearslong saga for Brazil that has included Mr. Bolsonaro’s discrediting of the nation’s voting systems, a tense election in which he never fully accepted defeat, an invasion of the halls of power by his supporters and a high-profile investigation that has left his running mate in jail since December.

What’s Next?

The Supreme Court will determine whether to move forward with the case. The decision could have major political implications as Brazil approaches future elections. The chance is high that tens of millions of Brazilians might soon witness a televised Supreme Court trial that could result in Bolsonaro being sentenced to prison. If convicted, he would become the country’s third president in just eight years to face incarceration.