Brazil’s Federal Police indict Jair Bolsonaro, two generals and 34 others for coup attempt
Investigators maintain that the former president’s plan failed because the heads of the Army and Air Force refused to support him
The Brazilian Federal Police formally indicted former president Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday of attempting to orchestrate a coup d’état, according to an official statement. The retired far-right military officer is alleged to have sought to subvert the election results and block leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from returning to power.
Bolsonaro, who governed Brazil from 2019 to 2022, is among 37 individuals charged, including two retired generals who served as ministers in his administration. The police report has already been submitted to the Supreme Court, and precautionary measures have been issued, including a ban on international travel, which led to the confiscation of Bolsonaro’s passport months ago.
Bolsonaro has not commented on the formal accusations but has consistently proclaimed his innocence, asserting that he acted “always within the four lines of the Constitution.”
The indictment stems from evidence gathered over two years through investigations, analysis of communications, financial and tax records, whistleblower testimonies, searches, and seizures, according to the police statement.
The police’s formal indictment must now be evaluated by the Supreme Court. Bolsonaro was disqualified months ago by the Supreme Court from running for office until 2030. That ruling convicted him of abuse of power, citing his use of the presidential platform to systematically undermine confidence in the security of the country’s voting system.
Investigators argue that the coup attempt failed because the conspirators failed to secure the backing of the then-commanders of the Army and Air Force, Generals Marco Antônio Freire Gomes and Carlos de Almeida Baptista. Both generals implicated Bolsonaro in the plot during their testimony as witnesses, as revealed in March.
On January 8, 2023, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters launched a coup attempt in Brasília, storming government buildings just a week after Lula was sworn in for his third, non-consecutive term as president. To date, only the direct participants in the attack have been tried and sentenced. The Supreme Court has handed down heavy sentences to over 200 individuals, but none of those accused of planning or financing the coup attempt has yet faced trial.
The indictment follows revelations by police this week that the coup plotters had plans to assassinate President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his vice president, Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Adding to the tension, just last week, a Bolsonaro supporter detonated an explosive device outside the Supreme Court building.
A pivotal figure in the investigation is Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro’s personal secretary during his presidency. Cid, a military officer who managed Bolsonaro’s cell phone and accompanied him in nearly all official activities, has become a critical source of information in the probe. After spending several months in preventive detention at a military facility, Cid agreed to cooperate with authorities, providing details about the coup attempt and the involvement of others suspected in the plot.
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