O STF (Supreme Federal Court) declared, on Tuesday (25), the final and unappealable ruling in the attempted coup d’état for all members of nucleus 1.
As a result, the former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), preventively arrested since last Saturday (22), begins to effectively serve the sentence. He was sentenced to 27 years and 3 months in prison, in a closed regime, for leading an attempted coup d’état.
The trajectory that led Jair Bolsonaro to prison, however, began long before the execution of the sentence. Former Army captain and federal deputy for almost three decades, he ascended to the Presidency of the Republic in 2018supported by a conservative discourse, marked by attacks on the left and the exaltation of the military dictatorship, banners that transformed him into the main leader of the Brazilian right.
In the second half of the term, (Supremo Tribunal Federal) and the electoral system. Weekly live broadcasts have become the main stage of attacks against electronic voting machines.
Demonstrations on September 7th also served as a showcase for direct attacks on the Supreme Court and, mainly, on the minister Alexandre de Moraes.
2022 elections
Bolsonaro was defeated in the 2022 electionsafter a turn of events leaving Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), his main political opponent, eligible again.
Polls already indicated some favoritism for Lula in the first round. In the second, there was one of the first practical actions against the democratic regime.
A PRF (Federal Highway Police) he was in order to hinder the movement of voters. At the time, Moraes, then president of TSE (Superior Electoral Court)ordered the suspension of the blitzes and ordered the case to be investigated.
In October, the Lula’s victory in the elections. Bolsonaro became the first president of Brazil not to be re-elected for a second term. However, he it took days to publicly acknowledge the result.
Attacks against the electoral process
Between October and January, Bolsonaro supporters intensified actions that, according to the STF, were encouraged by the then president and aimed to contradict the electoral process. After Lula’s diploma, in December, there were episodes of vandalism in Brasília, including vehicle fires, attacks on the headquarters of PF (Federal Police) and placing a .
At the same time, hundreds of supporters remained in front of the Army Headquarters calling for military intervention. For the STF, Bolsonaro had the power to demobilize the camp and contain the escalation of tension, but chose not to act.
On the eve of Lula’s inauguration, Bolsonaro where he remained for months. It became the first president of the New Republic not to pass on the presidential sash to his successor.
In , thousands of protesters coming from different cities, including groups that were in the camp in front of the barracks, They invaded and vandalized the National Congress, the Planalto Palace and the STF. Historic heritage sites were destroyed. At that time, Bolsonaro was already being investigated as a possible mastermind of a coup plot.
Investigations
The investigations advanced after the former aide-de-camp of the then president. He reported Bolsonaro’s meetings with ministers, ambassadors and military commanders before the elections, in which the president openly questioned the credibility of the ballot boxes.
Still in December 2022, investigations pointed to the existence of a which predicted the murders of Lula, Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) and minister Alexandre de Moraes. The Federal Police investigation was concluded in November 2024.
Bolsonaro and 36 other allies were indicted and denounceddivided by PGR (Attorney General’s Office) em five core areas of activity.
The central nucleus, led by Bolsonaro, was . The complaint was accepted by the STF, and the former president became a defendant. He was the first Brazilian president in this position due to a coup attempt.
According to the accusation, , organized attacks on the electoral system, disseminated disinformation and encouraged military intervention.
During interrogation, he admitted having discussed “possibilities” to contest the result and acknowledged having participated in meetings that evaluated the decree of a GLO (Guarantee of Law and Order).
He also confirmed that he had been presented with the “recitals” of a coup draft, although he denied having requested changes, as stated by Cid and other evidence from the investigation. According to him,.
During the process, almost 60 witnesses were heard. The defenses challenged Moraes’ impartiality and the validity of Mauro Cid’s statement, alleging contradictions and non-compliance with the agreement.
O case gained international prominence. In July, the President of the United States classified the process as a “witch hunt” and imposed economic sanctions on Brazil, in addition to personal sanctions on STF ministers and their families.
A PGR opened another case against Bolsonaro and his son Eduardo for their actions in the USA. The suspicion was of coercion during the process and attempted obstruction of justice. The Prosecutor’s Office also presented evidence of an escape attempt by the former president, which led to his house arrest being ordered in August.
A month later, in September, After five sessions, the and seven other defendants by four votes to one. The only dissent was from Luiz Fux, who, in a 14-hour vote, called for the acquittal of Bolsonaro and the majority of the accused, condemning only Mauro Cid and Walter Braga Netto.
Bolsonaro still presented resources, but all were rejected by the Class. As a result, the conviction was upheld, and the The former president is now serving a sentence.
