The former deputy and councilor elected in São Paulo, Janaina Paschoal (PP-SP), blamed General Braga Netto for the return of the left to the Presidency of the Republic and criticized former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) for choosing the general as candidate for vice president in 2022.
“I firmly understand that we lost Brazil because of Braga Netto. I can’t stand this man. If Bolsonaro had called Tereza Cristina as vice-president, we wouldn’t be in this situation. But no, he wanted to protect himself from a possible impeachment in the second term, he called a heavier general than the one he already had, and handed the nation over to the left”, said Paschoal in a post on Instagram, this Wednesday (20).
Despite criticism of the general, Paschoal questioned the conduct of the investigation in which the Federal Police (PF) said it had identified an alleged plan to kill President Lula (PT), Vice President Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) and the Minister of the Supreme Court. Federal (STF), Alexandre de Moraes.
According to the PF, the alleged plot envisaged generals Augusto Heleno and Braga Netto as commanders of a “crisis office” after the execution of the targets.
For Paschoal, to date, none of the documents relating to the investigation, made public by Minister Alexandre de Moraes, indicate the participation of General Braga Netto in the supposed plan.
“With all due respect, it is not credible that the murder of high-ranking officials was plotted with the use of a taxi. According to the aforementioned reports, they would have avoided ordering Uber, so their locations would not be registered on the platform, but they were unable to get a taxi and aborted the plan. […] It’s not possible! I insist, always respectfully, that the secrecy of the documents that informed the decision be lifted, as the country has the right to this historical recovery”, added Paschoal.
“Operation Countercoup”
On Tuesday (19), the PF arrested four Army soldiers and a federal police officer on charges of preparing a coup plan after the 2022 presidential election.
According to the report, the military worked in the Special Forces – the so-called “black kids” – and the federal police officer even worked on the security of the then elected Lula during the transition, leaking information “to people close to the then president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) joining directly to the coup attempt”.
The PF states that documents relating to the execution of these authorities were printed at the Palácio do Planalto at the time, and pointed out Bolsonaro’s connection with the group.
He also classified the attempted murders as “clandestine actions” of an operation entitled “Copa 2022” to “neutralize minister Alexandre de Moraes” and “extinguish the winning presidential ticket”.
The name of the operation refers to the codenames adopted by the participants, referring to countries participating in the World Cup.
Furthermore, according to the PF, in addition to the document detailing the execution of Lula, Alckmin and Moraes, two drafts would have been printed at Palácio do Planalto that would establish an “Institutional Crisis Management Office”.
The cabinet would be headed by General Augusto Heleno, who commanded the Institutional Security Office (GSI) of the Bolsonaro government; general Braga Netto, who was the former president’s vice-president on the ticket running for re-election, as general coordinator; and, among others, former international affairs advisor Filipe Martins, who was arrested during Operation Tempus Veritatis, in February, and released in August.
The document would have been printed by General Mário Fernandes, who was interim minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency during the Bolsonaro government.
