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Senator Márcio Bittar (UB-AC), author of a PEC (Constitutional Amendment Proposal) and a bill that propose amnesty for former president Jair Bolsonaro and those involved in the attacks on Praça dos Três Poderes in Brasília, on the day January 8, 2023, disagrees with Minister Gilmar Mendes, of the STF (Supreme Federal Court), regarding recent decisions in the USA, taken by President Donald Trump.
While Márcio Bittar celebrates Trump’s decision to amnesty approximately 1,500 people arrested for the invasion of the Capitol, in Washington DC, in January 2021, seeing this as a possible influence for the advancement of his amnesty projects that are being processed in Congress, minister Gilmar Mendes assesses that the North American measure will not have any impact on Brazil. Mendes even stated that the idea of amnesty in the country is out of the question, or, as they say in legal jargon, “it was sent to the Greek calends”, indicating that there is no forecast for its effective debate.
Senator Márcio Bittar/ Photo: Juan Diaz/ContilNet
Gilmar Mendes says that amnesty in Brazil “doesn’t happen”
The minister’s position was revealed this Thursday (23), in Zurich, Switzerland, during an interview with RFI Brasil, which covered the Brazil Economic Forum, an event in which the magistrate participated.
When asked whether Trump’s pardon measure for the Capitol invaders could influence the Brazilian political scenario, the minister was emphatic:
“It is unthinkable, as I said elsewhere, to talk about amnesty in Brazil. The seriousness of the facts of January 8, which have already been revealed and, in some cases, condemned, makes any serious discussion about this impossible. Furthermore, the recent facts revealed, such as the attempted assassination of the president, the vice-president, minister Alexandre de Moraes and other ministers, make this possibility even more distant”, he reiterated.
Gilmar Mendes also recalled that the trial of the alleged perpetrators of the January 8 acts will take place if the Attorney General’s Office files a complaint. “We will await these developments, which are very serious, especially if we consider the participation of generals and military leaders in these activities”, highlighted Mendes, mentioning the Federal Police report as the basis for these investigations.
“Breathable air” in Brazil
Despite Gilmar Mendes’ categorical statements, Trump’s decision fuels Márcio Bittar’s expectations. The senator believes that the North American pardon creates a favorable environment for his proposals in Brazil.
“What is happening in the United States helps us a lot,” said Bittar. “Whether you like Bolsonaro and Donald Trump or not – apart from sympathies or antipathies, it is undeniable that there are important parallels. Trump was politically persecuted, just as Bolsonaro has been. Both faced difficult trials, but Trump managed to win re-election and implement his agenda. This reflects in ‘breathable air’ in Brazil, boosting our amnesty agenda.”
According to the senator, Trump’s proposal demonstrates that, even in the midst of polarization and political confrontation, “it is possible to overcome these situations”.
In Brazil, the PEC and Bittar’s bill are in progress, but face resistance both in Congress and in the Federal Supreme Court. They await evaluation by the Special Committee of the Chamber, under a decision by President Arthur Lira.
