The Federal Supreme Court (STF) begins, on Tuesday (25), the analysis of the complaint presented by the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) against former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and seven other allies, accused of plotting a coup to prevent the possession of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) in 2022.
The complaint includes accusations of criminal organization, coup d’état, damage to public assets and deterioration of listed assets.
The complaint is based on the Federal Police (PF) report, which pointed to the former president as measures to prevent the inauguration of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) after the 2022 elections.
According to the Federal Police, the plan would not have advanced for lack of support from the then army and aeronautics commanders, Marco Antônio Freire Gomes and Carlos de Almeida Baptista Júnior, who implied Bolsonaro in their statements.
Mauro Cid’s award-winning denunciation, a former Jair Bolsonaro orders, has been one of the central pillars of investigations into the attempted coup.
During his statement, Cid revealed crucial details that imply Bolsonaro in a coup plot, especially regarding the elaboration of a draft decree to create a “state of defense” in the country, as an attempt to reverse the outcome of the elections.
The pillars of Mauro Cid’s denunciation
Cid stated that Bolsonaro fed the idea of remaining in power, even after losing the elections. To this end, he edited a draft decree that declared a “state of defense” in Brazil, aiming to prevent Lula’s possession as president and seek ways to keep Bolsonaro in office. Cid also revealed that the former president presented this draft to the military chiefs as part of an attempt to win the armed forces support for the execution of a coup.
Cid also revealed that Bolsonaro summoned military chiefs, such as General Marco Antonio Freire Gomes (Army) and Brigadier Carlos de Almeida Baptista Júnior (Aeronautics), to discuss the draft decree and the coup plan. Both refused to support the coup plan, but Cid stated that Bolsonaro insisted on the permanence of supporters in barracks as a way to press the military to adhere to the coup. This movement was an attempt to generate pressure on military leaders to accept democratic rupture and military intervention.
Another crucial point of Cid’s denunciation was the revelation of an alleged murder plan involving Lula, Geraldo Alckmin and Minister Alexandre de Moraes. Cid mentioned that the plan, called “green dagger”, involved violent actions to prevent Lula’s possession and even the execution of some key figures from the government. The former president would have been conniving with the planning of an extremely violence action, which also extended to other political figures in the country.
Bolsonaro, in public speeches, confirmed the existence of the draft decree, mentioning it during a rally in February 2024. In his speech, he stated that the state of defense was not a coup, but a legal measure of reaction against the results of the elections, which contradicts the intentions described by Cid in his denunciation and the investigation itself, which sees the action as an attempt to interfere with the process.
According to Cid, other members of Bolsonaro’s “coup core”, such as Walter Braga Netto and Anderson Torres, also played an active role in the financial organization of the coup as part of a logistical and strategic support network.
Defenses question denunciation
Bolsonaro’s defense disputes the validity of CID’s denunciation, stating that the statement was obtained under coercion. They argue that Cid was pressured by the Federal Police to report and that, because of this, their collaboration cannot be considered legitimate. The defense also questions the role of Minister Alexandre de Moraes, who, according to them, would have partially acted by conducting negotiations from the denunciation agreement.
The debate on the coercion of whistleblowers rekindles the discussion about the award -winning institute, a practice that gained prominence during Operation Lava Jato. During Lava Jato, many accused claimed that the allegations were made under pressure, aiming to reduce their penalties, which generated criticism of the legitimacy of collaborations. Now, pockets, who were previously advocates of Lava Jato, criticize ICD’s denunciation and question the bias of the process, including the work of Alexandre de Moraes in the STF.
