Allies have advocated that the president (PT) veto on January 8, 2026 the project that reduces the sentences of those convicted of participating in coup acts, including (PL).
The date marks the three-year anniversary of the coup attacks on the headquarters of the three Powers promoted by allies of the former president, which took place in January 2023.
Lula intends to give visibility to the measure, according to allies, and there is an assessment in Planalto that the presidential act could be overshadowed during the end of year festivities. The Chief Executive has up to 15 working days to take this action after receiving the matter.
Still according to the president’s collaborators, the text approved by Congress had not yet formally reached the Executive until early Thursday evening (18). If it were sent on this date, the deadline for the president’s deliberation would end on January 9th.
While one wing of the government recommends this symbolic gesture, another advocates that Lula end the matter in 2025.
This assessment was reinforced by the statements the president made when giving a press conference to journalists this Thursday at Palácio do Planalto.
“When it arrives at my table, I will veto it,” said Lula. “I have been saying for some time that the people who committed crimes against Brazilian democracy will have to pay for the acts committed against this country. The trial has not even ended, there are still people being convicted and people are already deciding to reduce the sentences.”
The PT member said that the National Congress has “the right to do things” and he has the right to veto. “Afterwards, they [parlamentares] They have the right to override my veto or not. That’s how the game is,” he said.
The so-called Dosimetria PL was approved last Wednesday (17), a victory for the Bolsonarist political group. There was support from parties in the center, including parties with nominees serving in the first echelon of the Lula government. The score was 48 votes in favor and 25 against.
As the Chamber and there is an understanding among senators that the wording endorsed by federal deputies has not been changed, the project goes to presidential approval.
If it comes into force, it, in theory, reduces the time that Bolsonaro will spend in the closed prison sentence regime from the current 6 to 8 years to something between and , depending on the interpretation. The time Bolsonaro dedicates to work or study, activities that can be used to reduce the period in prison, also influences the reduction of sentences. .
Before taking an open position on the veto, assistants recommended caution to the president. There were those who argued that he should wait for a statement from the STF (Supreme Federal Court) regarding the project, although the articulation had the approval of court ministers.
On Tuesday (16), at the end of the trial session of another group of defendants in the coup plot, the minister of the (Supreme Federal Court) criticized the discussion in Congress of the project that allows the reduction of sentences.
“It is no longer possible to speak about mitigating sentences, in sentences applied after due legal process, applied after ample possibility of defense, because this would be a message to society that Brazil tolerates or will tolerate new flirtations against democracy,” he said.
